Path of Fire
by MasterGhandalf
Summary: Sequel to "Heart of Fire". A repentant Azula searches the Earth Kingdom for her exiled mother, the Lady Ursa, while her path is shadowed by enemies old and new.
1. Prologue: Shadows

**Path of Fire**

**Prologue- Shadows**

The man sat hunched in the corner of his prison cell, face obscured by unkempt hair that had once been glossy black but was now beginning to run grey. Once the man's body had been powerfully built and he had a well-earned reputation as one of the greatest warriors in the world. Now he was pitifully out of shape, leading his guards to remark on one occasion that surely here was the only man in the world to _gain_ weight on prison food. Once he had been the most powerful bender alive. Now his element had been denied to him by some strange, unknown power called forth by the boy Avatar.

Once he had been Fire Lord Ozai, called the Phoenix King, poised to conquer the known world and rule it as a god-king. Now he was broken, powerless, a prisoner of the son he despised. Ozai retained just enough dark humor to appreciate the full irony of his situation- apart from continually baiting Zuko with the whereabouts of the boy's mother (how should he know? He told the woman to get out- he never said where), it was the only enjoyment he was able to find in his captivity.

While still Fire Lord, he had heard from the Governor of New Ozai that the captive King Bumi actually enjoyed his imprisonment, seeing it as an opportunity to exercise his nimble mind without distractions. Ozai himself just took it as yet another proof that the ancient earthbender was completely insane.

A guard came to bring Ozai his dinner as the sun slipped past the horizon. The prison food was bland mush, but the deposed Fire Lord ate it greedily anyway, if only to deny Zuko the satisfaction of seeing him go hungry. When he was through the guard took the bowl and left again, returning to his post near the entrance. No guards were posted outside of Ozai's cell- as far as the prison staff was concerned, a firebender with no firebending was a joke, rather than a threat. Ozai, for his part, was inclined to agree with them, and cursed the Avatar again for his predicament.

Night had fallen now, and the only light in the cell was a thin sliver of pale moonlight. Then it too vanished behind a cloud, and Ozai realized that he was no longer alone.

A figure stood in the corner of the cell, wrapped in a cloak that seemed to shift from black to dark purple to midnight blue. Shadows trailed from the figure, making it difficult to pick out from the darkness without effort. A hood covered most of the figure's face, but from the shape of what was visible, Ozai guessed that his visitor was a woman.

"Who are you and how did you get in here?" he snarled at the shadows. "Can't a man suffer in peace?"

"You don't need to suffer at all, Great King," the visitor said in a soft, melodious- and distinctly feminine- voice. "I am here to offer you salvation."

"Can you turn back time and restore my powers?" Ozai asked. "Or perhaps give me powers to match the Avatar without the crutch of the Comet? If not, then there's nothing you can offer that I am interested in buying."

The woman stepped forward and lowered her hood. Ozai stared at her, amazed. She was beautiful, true, but also young- barely older than his daughter, in fact. But it was her eyes that held the Phoenix King's attention- rather than the gold, blue, and green eyes common among the people of the four nations, they were a deep violet. "There are forces at work in this world, Ozai," she said. "This state of peace cannot endure, and soon the Avatar himself shall fall. I offer you the chance to lead that effort, to usher in a new age upon this world. Do you accept?"

"I am not interested in mysticism!" Ozai snarled. "You are here to torment me by offering me what I most desire and you can't produce. Now get out! I may not have bending any longer, but I think I could still break a fragile little thing like you with my hands alone."

"Fragile?" the girl murmured, a strange smile on her lips. "So you have made your choice. A pity- I came here to find a conqueror and found a broken down wretch wallowing in self-pity. I guess I must look elsewhere for the champion I seek." Her strange eyes focused on the deposed Fire Lord. "But I suppose you're going to tell the guards all about me now. They probably won't believe you- after all, who could get into this cell without opening the door or window?- but then again, they just might. And I can't have that."

In an instant a long-bladed knife was in her hand. Ozai barely had time to register his danger before this strange visitor lunged forward and he felt the sharp point enter his body. Then… nothing.

#############

When the guards found Ozai's body hours later, they were truly mystified. The Phoenix King had clearly been killed by a knife, but he hadn't had such a weapon himself, and it was no longer in the cell. That meant it must have been an outside attacker, but the bars on the windows and doors were still in place, and the Warden himself had the only key.

Still in a state of bafflement, the guards sent a messenger to the palace to inform Fire Lord Zuko of what had transpired and sent the body off to the Fire Sages to prepare for burial, leaving nothing behind in the cell but shadows.


	2. Chapter 1: Funeral for a Tyrant

**Chapter 1: Funeral for a Tyrant**

Zuko had attended the funeral of a Fire Lord once before.

When Fire Lord Azulon died, the entire Fire Nation had mourned him. The grim, canny old ruler hadn't been loved like his charismatic father Sozin, but he was widely respected for his intelligence and power. The crowds had turned out in vast numbers, like a huge sea of white, to mourn their fallen leader and pledge loyalty to his chosen successor- Zuko's father, Ozai.

Now Ozai himself lay upon the funeral bier, and the crowds were nowhere to be seen. Azulon had not been loved, but the Phoenix King was _hated_, for he had driven the war machine of the Fire Nation far harder than any ruler before him and reduced much of the civilian population to little better than slaves in his factories. The people followed him still, but their loyalty was to tradition and to the throne, rather than to the man who sat upon it. When his powers had been stripped from him by the Avatar, few tears had been shed.

In life Ozai had been a towering figure of dreadful power and infinite cruelty- a man made soulless by unchecked ambition, who was capable of any cruelty if he might profit from it. The scar that covered one side of Zuko's face tingled slightly at the memory of Ozai's most personally affecting crime, but it was far from the only pain the former Fire Lord had caused. Now he seemed pathetic and shrunken, and far older than he had ever looked while alive. The Fire Sages had cleaned the body and dressed it in fine robes, but even their handiwork couldn't hide the wound that had killed him- a clean slash across the throat, which the royal physician assured Zuko could only have been cause by a knife of incredible sharpness.

The murder itself still stumped Zuko. There were plenty of people who wanted Ozai dead, but the Fire Lord knew of no one who could pass through walls and locked doors without leaving a trace.

For now, though, such questions had to wait. Zuko stood on the steps of the Fire Nation palace in white mourning robes, at his side his betrothed, the Lady Mai. Off on one side, flanked by guards, was Zuko's younger sister, Princess Azula, a strange look on her normally impassive face. Azula had been the one person who could truly have been said to love Ozai, twisted as her relationship with him had been. Recently she had seemed to throw off some of his influence and had been instrumental in the defeat of the rebel general Azun, but the Phoenix King's shadow still loomed large in her mind. Her grief was genuine- perhaps the only genuine grief anyone felt for the man, a fact that Zuko found darkly ironic, considering that Azula was generally the last person one looked to for genuine human emotion.

Apart from the High Fire Sage, they were the only mourners present. Zuko himself would not have been there if it hadn't been for the knowledge that Ozai would have expected him to toss his body into the sea and forget about it (and would have likely done exactly that had their positions been reversed), and while Zuko no longer felt a need to prove himself to his father, but he did need to show that he was a better man than Ozai. Uncle probably would have come too, but Zuko didn't want to have to drag the old man out of his well-earned retirement to travel halfway around the world just to say farewell to the younger brother who'd hated him.

The High Fire Sage stepped forward and raised his hands over the body. "Ozai," he intoned, "Fire Lord of our nation for seven years. You were our ruler during the conquest of Ba Sing Se, and were the first to use airships as weapons of war. You were the husband of Ursa. You were the father of Zuko and Azula. We lay you to rest." The Fire Sage raised his hands and sent twin blasts of golden flame towards the body. In an instant Ozai was consumed. The Fire Sage bowed and stepped back, his work now done.

Zuko felt a light touch on his arm and turned to see Mai. "You've done enough, Zuko," she said. "He didn't even deserve this much."

"You're right," Zuko said to her. "But he was still my father, despite everything. I did my duty as his son for the last time. In an hour there won't be anything left of him but ash." Without another word Zuko turned and began to walk back towards the palace, Mai at his side. Ozai was gone now- he would never harm anyone again. He was best left as no more than a bad memory.

############

Azula noticed her brother and former friend leaving out of the corner of her eye, but her full attention was on the flames that chewed on her father's body.

Azula loved Ozai. She was firmly convinced that he was the most powerful firebender and greatest king who had ever lived, and that he fully deserved to have the entire world laid out at his feet. All she had done during the war- tracking Zuko, conquering Ba Sing Se, striking the Avatar down in the height of his power- had been for him.

Azula hated Ozai. He had manipulated her for her entire life, made her into little more than a younger, female version of himself, and then, when she was no longer useful, abandoned her. Azula had done similar things to others in her life, and perhaps that was why this hit home so painfully- it reminded her that underneath her royal glamour and prodigy's skill, she was just as weak as anyone else.

And it could easily be said that he was responsible for her current condition. His ruthless manipulation of her emotions throughout her childhood had sown the seeds of madness- his abandonment of her before the Comet had triggered its ultimate appearance. A month ago, Azula had regained control- barely- by betraying her lifelong belief that power was the ultimate goal and helping Zuko defeat Azun. Now that she was in the Palace again, surrounded by guards day and night and unable to take any meaningful action, she could feel the madness growing again. Only shear effort of will had prevented it from returning in full force.

_Good-bye, Father_, Azula said silently to the pyre. _I will always love you- and I will hate you until my dying breath. Does that satisfy you?_ With a final sigh she turned away from the flames and motioned to her guards.

"I am returning to my chambers now," she said and immediately began walking in that direction. The guards quickly fell into step behind her. In that position they looked like honored bodyguards, but Azula knew what they were- her jailers. Zuzu still didn't trust her. Azula didn't suppose she blamed him. She wasn't entirely sure she trusted herself.

Finally the little procession arrived at Azula's rooms. The guards- both men- took their places beside the door but did not enter. The deposed princess gave them both mocking smiles as she passed between them and entered her bedchamber, shutting the door behind her.

A sudden blow to the side of her face sent Azula staggering. Catching herself against her bedpost, she turned to face her attacker, preparing to conjure her trademark blue fire and incinerate the fool who had dared to lay hands on her person before they could draw another breath.

Then she saw the intruder's face, and all such thoughts were driven from her mind.

Her father towered over her, resplendent in the robes of the Phoenix King. He was clearly alive and his eyes burned with absolute rage- an expression Azula had only seen once before, on the day Zuko was scarred and banished.

"Traitor!" Ozai roared, landing another blow in his petrified daughter, sending her crashing to the floor. Azula looked up at him, eyes wide and brimming with unaccustomed tears.

"Father… why?" she croaked.

"You know why," he snarled. "You have betrayed me, Azula. I trusted you, loved you- you were my heir, by the spirits! I thought I'd taught you well to see the world as it truly is- to despise weakness and seek power, even as I did. We could have ruled the world together, but when you had the chance you threw it away! You're no better than Zuko. I should have known that children from such a weak mother would both turn out to be worthless."

Logic overrode Azula's fear and shame. "This isn't real!" she spat. "You died- I saw them burn your body. You can't use me any more!"

Ozai laughed. "Really? You thought a knife in the dark would be enough to kill me? I live on inside you, my dear daughter. I will always be with you. You cannot escape me, even when you cling to you're mother's promises of love and the Avatar's power."

Azula stood on shaking legs. "Get out. You taught me to always be in control, all the while controlling my life completely. I've learned better than to listen to you. I make my own path now- not yours, not Mother's, and not Zuko's."

"Really?" Ozai grabbed his daughter by her hair and hurled her to the ground. "I would have made you great, Azula, but you stubborn children simply won't listen. But know this- I will haunt you forever. You will never be free of me until you embrace who you are again. You want to avoid madness, girl? Embrace everything I taught you once again, or I will tear you apart. I promise that- and no one can save you."

Then he raised his hand and sent a blast of fire streaking towards Azula. She tried to dodge but her legs wouldn't move, and the flames consumed her. Agony consumed every inch of her body, and she screamed and screamed and….

She was lying on the floor, curled up in a ball, still in her mourning clothes. Someone was shaking her, and she looked up tentatively to see one of her guards standing over her, a concerned look on his face.

"Don't you know better than to enter my room without asking?" Azula spat, but her heart wasn't in it.

"I'm sorry, Prin- Azula. We heard you scream, and thought you might be in trouble."

Azula shot him a withering glance. "You thought wrong. Now get out, or else you'll be the one screaming." The guard bowed- a bow of respect, not the subservience due to royalty- and removed himself from the chamber.

Azula stood slowly and stretched, trying to work out the ghost of pain that still shot through her body while her mind spun. She hadn't had a hallucination in a while- not since the one of her mother, just before she decided to help defeat Azun. That wasn't a good sign- it meant she was starting to lose control again. She remembered the mad beast she had become when fighting Zuko for the throne and shuddered inwardly. _Never again_, she vowed silently. _Whatever it takes._

But it was starting to look like the inevitable madness was her only option.


	3. Chapter 2: Prophecy

**Chapter 2: Prophecy**

A storm was brewing in the skies above the Fire Nation Capital. Rain had not yet begun to fall, but the sky was dark with clouds shot through with lightning and trees were swaying in the high winds. Most of the Capital's residents huddled in their houses, waiting for the fury to come.

A figure hurried across the palace grounds, wrapped in a floor-length red robe. The figure paused and looked over its shoulder, as though making sure it was not being followed, and then turned and began to make its way across the courtyard once again, Leaving the residential portion of the palace behind, the figure hurried up the steps of the Fire Sages' temple.

The temple door opened slowly and a man in the robes of a Sage poked his head out. "Who's there?" he called. "We're not open for visitors at this hour."

The figure reached up and cast back her hood, revealing the coldly beautiful features of Princess Azula. "You will let me inside, Sage," she said. "I need to speak with your master."

"Of- of course, my lady," the Sage said with a slight bow. "Follow me." He turned and began to walk back into the temple, Azula following closely at his heels. They passed through the long, empty corridors and came at last to an ornate oaken door. The Fire Sage stepped forward and knocked softly.

"Enter," a voice said from within. The Sage opened the door and Azula stepped inside. The High Fire Sage sat at his desk and looked at the princess with wry amusement. "Princess Azula," he said. "I was led to believe that your brother ordered you to be guarded at all times."

"That is correct," Azula admitted, "but I wasn't interested in being followed here, so I gave them the slip."

"And what would be so important that you would risk the Fire Lord's anger just to come here and speak with me?"

Azula stared at her hands for some time. "It's getting worse," she finally said.

"You are referring to the madness that took you on the day of the Comet?" the old man asked in a tone that indicated neither anger nor approval.

"Yes," she whispered. "I'm a firebender, and this place is built over the heart of fire's power in this world. Maybe if I stay the night here and meditate it will help me."

"Forgive me," the High Fire Sage said, "but I was never under the impression that you put much worth by spiritual matters. I am curious as to why you would begin doing so now?"

A sudden light flashed in Azula's eyes and the Sage involuntarily pulled back. "It is not your place to question me!" she snarled and hit the desk, sending blue sparks shooting across it. Then Azula caught herself and pulled back, mentally chiding herself for the temporary loss of control.

"To be entirely honest, I still don't put much value by them," she finally said in a calmer voice. "But it's one thing I haven't tried yet, and I don't suppose it could hurt me. It's not belief, High Sage- it's a last resort."

"I see," the old man said. "Come with me." He stood and motioned for Azula to follow him. They passed through more empty corridors, going ever in and down, until at last they came to a vast chamber that Azula guessed had to be underground. The walls were black stone decorated with golden images of dragons, heroes, and above all the sun, but it wasn't the decorations that truly seized one's attention. In the center of the floor was a great crack, and from it arose a smokeless yellow flame that was more than twice Azula's height.

"This place is a border," the Sage said. "It is where the Fire Nation of this world intersects with Agni's realm in the Spirit World. There are places like it in all four nations, though the only other one I know of is the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole, where the waterbenders commune with the moon and ocean spirits."

"I've heard of the Oasis," Azula said. "That is where Admiral Zhao attempted to destroy the Moon Spirit to strip the waterbenders of their power."

"And all he accomplished was the death of a thousand good men," the Sage said. "Curse his name! If you believe that communing with the power of fire can help you, Princess, I know of no better place in the entire world."

Azula nodded to the old man and sat cross legged in front of the great fire, clearing her mind of distractions and focusing on it to the exclusion of all else, as she would an sufficiently powerful flame. It pulsed slightly in response to her touch, and Azula allowed herself a slight smile. Working with fire always seemed to help her keep her mind balanced, though this didn't seem to be having any special effect. Still, she was almost glad she'd come here.

Then the flame roared up to lick the ceiling and Azula fell backwards to escape the heat. A figure materialized in the fiery depths- a man who seemed formed of liquid gold, clad in the robes of a Fire Lord, wearing the sun itself as a crown.

"Lord Agni," she heard the High Sage breath. "Command us."

The great fire spirit's eyes focused on Azula, captivating her with their burning power. HEAR ME, DAUGHTER OF OZAI, he said in a voice that crackled like flame and yet was clear as the ringing of a bell. MY TIME IS SHORT, AND SO YOU MUST LISTEN WELL.

Azula had always believed in the spirits- what bender couldn't?- but she had seen them as abstract forces rather than embodied entities which might have an effect on her life, ultimately dismissing the strange creature that had haunted her during Azun's rebellion as a figment of her madness. Clearly she had been mistaken. "What would you have me do?" she asked, barely aware of what she was saying.

THIS NATION- AND YOUR LINE MOST OF ALL- HAS DONE FAR GREATER HARM THAN THEY EVER REALIZED, Agni said. THE HEALING HAS BEGUN, BUT IT IS NOT YET COMPLETE. YOU ARE A PART OF THIS PROCESS. THE AVATAR SPOKE TRULY WHEN HE TOLD YOU THAT YOU MUST KNOW YOURSELF BEFORE YOU CAN FIND PEACE.

MANY YEARS AGO, YOUR MOTHER MURDERED FIRE LORD AZULON TO SPARE YOUR BROTHER'S LIFE. FOR HER CRIME, YOUR FATHER BANISHED HER TO THE EARTH KINGDOM, RECOGNIZING THAT HER PROTECTIVENESS COULD BE TURNED AGAINST HIM AS WELL. SHE IS NOW A PRISONER IN A DISTANT LAND, HELD CAPTIVE BY ONE WHO CHASES THE GLORIES OF THE PAST WHILE HIS PEOPLE SUFFER. FIND HER, AND I SEE THAT YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF AS WELL. FAIL, AND THAT WHICH YOU FEAR WILL CONSUME YOU UTTERLY.

The spirit lord turned and began to walk back into the depths of the fire, then looked over his shoulder and fixed Azula again with his burning eyes. A WORD OF WARNING, he said. THERE IS ONE WHO SEEKS TO DESTROY ALL THAT YOUR FAMILY HAS WORKED FOR, GOOD OR ILL. BE CAUTIOUS, FOR I SEE YOU WILL MET BEFORE THE END. FOR NOW, FAREWELL. Agni vanished, and the flame returned to its former size.

"Only once in memory has the fire spoken to us," the High Fire Sage finally said, "and that was the day before Sozin began the War, warning him that he walked the path towards ruin. He did not heed it, but the Sages remembered."

"Are you certain that was Agni?" Azula asked. "I believe that there was at least one spirit allied with Azun's rebels- it spoke to me the night before I fought him."

"And you want to know if this could be a trick," the Sage finished for her. "I do not believe so. The legends say that this flame's source lies in the Palace of the Sun in the Spirit World- if that was not Agni himself, it could only be one of his servants sent to speak on his behalf. None other would be allowed to access the flame."

Azula stood slowly. "Then I need to see my brother," she said.

Outside, it began to rain.

############

A shadow perched on the roof of the Fire Sages' temple, and at its heart was a young woman who watched the princess and the High Sage hurry towards the main body of the palace with a snarl on her lips. One hand fondled the hilt of her dagger- the same dagger that took the father's life- and the shadow considered the pleasure of using it on the daughter as well.

But the time was not yet. She knew it in her soul that Azula must live, for now at least, but that this would change in time. Soon the day would come when the princess was no longer useful to the cause, and then she would die with the shadow's blade in her heart.

How the young woman hated the princess and her brother, arrogant spoiled fools who cared nothing for the consequences of their actions. The new Fire Lord was somewhat better- at least he tried to make amends- but did he honestly think that anything he did could make up for the blood spilled during a century of warfare? How could he know or care the damage his people had inflicted upon this world! Azula knew, but she cared only about herself and hadn't made any attempt that the shadow had seen to heal the injuries she had caused.

Of course the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes were no better. All the nations were led by fools or tyrants and cared nothing for the people who served them- and now the Avatar was their lap dog. Someone had to act to bring judgment upon them all for their crimes and incompetence. The shadow had known that Ozai would have been a valuable addition to the cause, but she had still rejoiced when he had refused and she had been given an excuse to kill him.

But her vengeance was not complete- far from it! Though she sat here now on the temple roof as rain poured down upon her, she didn't care. A little dampness was small enough price to pay- and she would pay any price still to bring down the surviving nations, and count it a bargain.

_Soon_, whispered the quiet voice that sometimes spoke in the darkness of her mind.

"Yes," the shadow repeated aloud. "Soon."

############

Though she had spent her life in the company of warriors, benders, and acrobats of all types, Ty Lee remained the only person she knew who could meditate while doing a handstand.

Other people thought this strange, much as they thought that Ty Lee's exuberance, often unconventional comments, and insistence that she could see spiritual auras reflecting a person's mood were strange. The acrobat-turned-Kyoshi Warrior had long ago stopped being bothered by it. Born to a family that already had six interchangeable daughters, Ty Lee took any acknowledgement of her individuality as a complement, regardless of how it was intended. And unlike Azula, she'd never seen the point in holding a grudge. Making new friends was much more fun all around than making new enemies.

Becoming tired of handstanding, Ty Lee lightly flipped over and now stood balanced lightly on one foot. From below she heard sounds of amazement- all of the Kyoshi Warriors were acrobatic to greater or lesser degree, but few were up to performing fluid gymnastics while perched on the dojor's steep roof. Ty Lee, for her part, thought that practicing on the ground was boring. The risk of falling made successfully balancing all that more rewarding.

Suddenly a jolt shot through her body. Ty Lee's eyes widened in shock and her limbs stiffened, and she found herself falling towards the ground. Then she hit, and all was dark.

The acrobat opened her eyes slowly and saw one of the other Warriors standing over her, a concerned look on the other girl's face. "Are you all right?" she asked. "I've never seen you fall before."

Ty Lee had always felt something of an attunement to the Spirit World- she truly could see auras around people when she tried, though Azula and Mai (and most of the Kyoshi Warriors, for that matter), barely concealed their skepticism. Today she was certain she'd felt _something_ from the spirits- but what it was she couldn't say.

Still, Ty Lee's fundamental nature wasn't one that could be kept down for long. "I'm fine," she said, lightly hopping to her feet. "What's for dinner?"


	4. Chapter 3: Azula's Quest

**Chapter 3: Azula's Quest**

Zuko paced back and forth in front of his throne, then finally sighed and turned to Azula and the High Fire Sage. The two of them had just finished relating the story of Agni's appearance in the flame and his charge to the former princess. "You're absolutely certain that what you saw was real?" The Fire Lord asked.

"Yes, Majesty," the High Sage replied. "My order does not take such things lightly. The lord of the sun has spoken to your sister- have no doubt of that."

"Besides, Zuzu," Azula put in, smiling slightly at seeing her brother flinch at the taunting nickname, "If I was lying, do you honestly think I couldn't have come up with a better story to convince you to let me out?"

Zuko seemed to consider this, and then nodded. "You're right," he said. "It doesn't really seem like your kind of lie, and I trust the Fire Sages at least."

"But not me," Azula said with a wry smirk. "Really, Zuko, I am hurt. I would have thought that helping to take down an entire rebellion would have at least let you trust your little sister a bit."

Zuko looked at her incredulously. "And that's supposed to make up for tormenting me my entire life before that? Not to mention helping Father do all of the terrible things he did during the war."

"You _do_ have a point_,_" Azula admitted.

"Can you two stop snarking at each other and get to the point?" a rather irritated voice put in from near one of the walls where Mai was leaning, eyes half closed. "Some of us like to sleep, you know."

Zuko glanced sidelong at his betrothed and turned back to Azula. "If you were just planning on running off to chase Mom you wouldn't have come here first. What do you want?"

"Well, one thing I _don't _want is your army chasing me all over the world," Azula said, "so I thought it would be best to tip you off. But while we're on that topic, you might be aware that the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation are on different continents. I'll be needing a spare ship and crew."

"What?" Zuko almost exploded. "I'm still not even sure I'm going to let you out of my sight- much less search for Mom- and you honestly think I'm going to be handing over national resources to you? That's proof you're still crazy."

Azula snarled and stepped towards Zuko, fire building around her clenched fists. How dare he talk to her like that, the little… but then the High Fire Sage hurried between the royal siblings, palms outstretched in a blocking position. "Listen to me, both of you!" he said. "Destiny is in play here. I do not claim to understand Agni's reasons for this, but it is clear to me that the princess needs help, and this may be the only way to do that."

Azula shuddered and stepped back, struggling to pull her irrational anger into line. Zuko too seemed to relax somewhat, though he kept a wary eye on his sister. There was a small flash from Mai's corner, and Azula suspected that a knife had just vanished back up her one-time friend's sleeve.

"Besides, Zuko," the princess said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "Father let you have a ship when he banished you- surely the noble hero can do better than the evil tyrant?"

"That ship was Uncle's," Zuko said. "Without him I would have had to search the whole world for the Avatar on foot."

"You still haven't answered my question," Azula said. "Can I have a ship or not?"

Zuko regarded his sister thoughtfully, then nodded. "All right- here's what I'm offering. You can have a ship with no weapons, crewed by elite firebender's handpicked by General Akai. He still hasn't forgiven you for what you did to his men- I think he can be trusted to pick people you can't manipulate."

"You don't need to worry about that, Zuko," Azula said. "Believe it or not, I am being sincere this time."

"And if you are you don't have anything to worry about. Besides, that's not what worries me." Zuko looked at her straight on. "I'm worried about what might happen if you lose control."

_Well then, Zuzu_, Azula thought, _it seems we finally agree on something._

############

It was a small, stripped down warship, similar in design to the one that Zuko himself had used during his banishment. This make was fast but one of the weakest the vast Fire Navy produced- it probably didn't even have a name, Azula thought wryly. Still, it would serve her purposes well enough.

It was several days after Zuko's initial agreement that he was able to find the ship. Now the Fire Lord and his general stood on the docks with the captain and crew of the vessel, giving them last-minute instructions. Azula herself stood back, wearing simple warrior's clothing similar to that which she had worn during the War while hunting for her brother and the Avatar.

Captain Shin was a severe-looking older man in officers' armor, and his expression gave a clear look at his opinion of this assignment. Azula had been popular among the military during the war, certainly moreso than her father, but after word of her mental breakdown had spread the Fire Nation as a whole had begun to fear her. Azula didn't normally mind being feared- it eased command considerably, she thought- but it helped to be respected along with the fear. Now she was simply hated, a fact that the former princess found unsettling on some level she didn't fully understand.

For a moment she considered turning back. Traveling around the world on a ship full of people who might well like to see her dead was a rather daunting prospect, now that she thought about it. Looking at the Captain's scowling face, she could well imagine him calculating how to kill her and make it look like an accident- there must be many ways to do that when one was ship's master- and she knew that Akai's soldiers could well decide to avenge the comrades she had killed after recovering her firebending power at any time. Going on this quest, Azula would be surrounded by enemies.

"No," she whispered. This wasn't right- that kind of paranoia was her madness talking. There was little love between the royal fire siblings, but Zuko at least didn't want Azula dead and she doubted that these men would defy their Fire Lord. Agni said that finding her mother was the only way to find- and thereby heal- herself, and so even if there was danger Azula was willing to risk it. She had promised herself that she would never descend into a state of animalistic madness again, and like all of her family when the princess had her mind set on a goal there was nothing that could keep her from reaching for it.

Azula slipped away from the shore and stepped into the shadow of a larger ship to compose herself. It wouldn't do, after all, for her new traveling companions to see her in her troubled state. Out of sight, the princess closed her eyes and breathed deeply- and was suddenly struck was a powerful blow to the chest, knocking her backwards breathlessly.

Azula quickly opened her eyes and dropped into a fighting crouch, looking squarely at her attacker. She could tell little of their features due to the dark cloak- was it black, blue or violet? Her eyes couldn't tell- and the fact that the shadows seemed to cling to this person as though they were alive.

"What do you want with me?" Azula demanded, preparing herself to release a bolt of lightning at a moment's notice.

"To talk," the figure said in a melodious, feminine voice. She reached up with slender hands and lowered her hood, revealing a face that seemed only a year or two older than Azula's, its most striking feature the strange violet eyes.

"Talk?" the princess demanded. "You could have done that without hitting me."

"True," the shadow-wrapped girl said with a shrug. "But things are more fun this way."

Azula snorted. "I'm afraid I have to disagree. You want to talk, then talk. If I like what you have to say, I might actually let you walk away without blasting you."

"I know what you are, Princess," the shadow said. "You may have convinced your brother and the Avatar that you're sorry for what you've done and that you're trying to change, but I know that it is a lie. You are what you have always been, Princess Azula- the spawn of a tyrant, delighting only in the oppression of your people."

"I hear that speech about once a week," Azula said. "Are you going anywhere with this?"

The shadow smiled. "The time isn't right, but you and I will have a reckoning. But first I will let you walk the earth so that the entire world can know that you destroy everything you touch. They will see you and your Nation for what you are- monstrous to the core. Then I will kill you, just as I killed your father."

Azula acted without conscious thought. Her hands swept through the familiar motions and a bolt of lightning shot towards the shadow-girl, too fast to doge- and surely she didn't have the power to redirect it! The shadow's hand came up so fast it seemed to blur, and when the lightning struck it seemed to bend and passed harmlessly to the side.

"What are you?" Azula whispered, shaken.

"Vengeance," the shadow said with a bow. "Good-bye for now, Princess. I'll be watching you." Before Azula could move the girl slipped into the shadows and was gone.

The princess stood there unmoving for some time, attempting to process what she had seen. Her father's killer, now stalking herself, and possessed of some strange power that could deflect even lightningbending. It was not a pleasant thought.

She heard someone shouting her name, so she hurried back towards her own ship. Zuko was the one who had been calling so she hurried over to him, though she wouldn't humiliate herself by bowing to him. "You were shouting?" she asked.

"Where were you?" Zuko said. "Your ship's ready."

"I was just getting my thoughts together," Azula replied. She considered mentioning the assassin, then decided against it. The strange girl was her problem, not Zuzu's- she would handle it without his help. The princess turned away from her brother after a moment and began to march up the ramp into the ship.

A hand on her shoulder gave her pause. Azula turned and faced Zuko again. "What?" she asked. "You're not going to launch into some over-emotional farewell, are you? Wouldn't that be a bad joke."

"Listen," Zuko said, not meeting her eyes. "I know a bit about what you're about to do- traveling the world after Father banished me was probably the most important time in my life, even if I didn't think so at the time. Without that I wouldn't have become the person I am today. So what I'm trying to say is- good luck."

For a moment Azula stood still, unsure of what to say. Then her eyes hardened again. "I was born lucky, remember?" she said. "I think I'll get by." She hurried aboard the ship, followed by her crew, leaving the Fire Lord standing alone on the docks. Azula stood by the rail as the ship pulled away and headed east, watching the capital slowly shrink into the distance.

############

Zuko watched his sister's ship sink slowly over the horizon, then turned and began to walk back towards the palace. The ministers would be appalled, of course, that he hadn't taken a litter, but Zuko had decided from the moment he took the throne that the ministers were not going to have a say in whether or not he could walk.

The Fire Lord felt a silent presence at his side and looked up to see Mai gliding along beside him. "Well?" she asked. "How did it go?"

"Fine, I guess," Zuko said. "Maybe I'm going crazy too, but I almost want her to come back healed. I guess that seeing her like she was after the Agni Ki- chained up, helpless, insane- I just couldn't hate her anymore. I still don't trust her, but I can't hate her either."

"Maybe you're right," Mai said, "but even if she does come back sane, will it make her less dangerous, or more?"

Zuko shook his head. "I wish I knew."

############

Azula lay on her bed in her cabin on the ship, looking up at the wall hangings depicting symbolism of the monarchy. Apart from the hangings and a few clothes she hadn't brought any of her personal possessions along- they'd just get in the way.

Her mind kept returning to her strange attacker. The other girl had promised that they would meet again- next time Azula planned on being prepared. She knew that her lightning had been ineffective- perhaps all bending would be as well. But Azula knew that there were ways to fight that didn't involve manipulating the elements.

Looking up at the ceiling, Azula smiled slightly. Before reaching Earth Kingdom shores, it looked like she needed to call on an old friend.


	5. Chapter 4: Sins of the Mother

**Chapter 4: Sins of the Mother **

The small ship left Fire Nation waters and turned towards the southeast, steaming towards the destination that Azula had instructed the captain to make for. The night was cool and clear, and the princess herself stood apart from the crew near the prow, staring off into the distance as though looking for something that no one else could see. She heard footsteps ringing off of the metal deck behind her, and turned slowly to face Captain Shin.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"We are bound for Kyoshi Island as per your instructions," he said, "but you haven't told us who or what you expect to find there. I believe that we are entitled to that information."

Azula clutched the iron rail tightly. "You dare question me?" she snarled.

The captain was unperturbed, staring straight at Azula with a gaze that never wavered. "I feel obliged to remind you that while you may still technically hold the title of princess, you no longer hold any direct authority over us. Your brother instructed me to follow your directions within reason, and if I am to do that I need to know your own reasoning."

Azula scowled and considered arguing, then decided that it was pointless. Much as she hated to admit it, she needed Shin and his ship to accomplish her goal, and if she continued overlooking him he was liable to simply turn around and take her back to the Fire Nation, where her madness would surely consume her. And that remained the one fate that the proud princess would not tolerate.

"I'm looking for a friend," Azula finally said. "Ty Lee is one of the most dangerous non-benders I've ever met, and I was told that after the War ended she joined the Kyoshi Warriors. She would be very useful to have along."

Shin snorted. "Huh. Wouldn't have thought you would ever be one to come out and admit you needed help."

"I don't _need_ help!" Azula snapped. "Ty Lee's presence would just make things easier, is all."

"Really." The captain's tone indicated he believed no such thing, but Azula couldn't muster the strength to keep arguing with him. Deep down, she didn't believe it herself. Turning away from Shin to signify that their conversation was at an end, Azula leaned over the railing again and watched the sea pass by. After several moments she realized that the captain was still there.

"The sea is beautiful, isn't it?" he asked softly. "There aren't a lot of people in the Fire Nation who could appreciate that. Even most of the Navy saw it as an enemy to be conquered. But I always thought that it was the most powerful, majestic thing I'd ever seen. It's ironic that during the war we, the children of fire, were able to conquer the other nations not because of our numbers or bending, but because we had the best ships."

"Of course we have the best ships," Azula said. "We're an island, though a big one. We needed to conquer the seas before we could even interact with the other nations, much less go to war with them. There's nothing special or ironic about it."

"Conquest and domination." Shin shook his head. "That's how it always is with your kind."

Azula looked at him. "You hate me, don't you?" she asked softly.

He shook his head. "No. I don't hate you- I hardly know you. I hate what you represent- a tyranny generations old, forcing the people of our nation to lay down their lives in a pointless war. We did the fighting and the dying, and it was your family and supporters who were the only ones who benefitted. That's what I hate, princess- the attitude that we're all just here for the amusement and service of a handful of arrogant dictators."

"I risked my own life to take Ba Sing Se!" Azula snarled indignantly. "Call me a ruthless, cruel beast if you want, but you can't deny that I fought for my Nation and my father."

"And that's the only reason I ever respected you more than your father, who did nothing but sit in his palace and brutalize his own son." Shin turned to walk away. "Respect is something you have to earn, princess. I may not hate you, but I have no love for you either. Part of me hopes you'll prove me wrong before all this is through, but the rest thinks it's not very likely." With that he reached the ladder leading down into the belly of the ship and descended from Azula's sight.

The princess sighed and leaned up against the metal railing. She'd never inspired love from those who served her, but she had always succeeded in inspiring respect mingled with fear. Now she wondered how much of that had been because her men knew that royalty could have them punished or killed on a whim, rather than because of her own force of personality. It wasn't a pleasant thought.

"You seem troubled, Azula," a calm, pleasant voice said from nearby. Azula turned and saw her mother standing beside her, leaning with her elbows on the railing and looking out over the water as her daughter had done a short time ago. "Tell me what's wrong, and let me help you."

Azula snorted. "Help me? You're the problem- you're not even real, and here I am talking to you. In my experience, things like this aren't generally put under the label of 'sanity'."

Ursa looked sadly at her daughter. "Do you really believe that? Talk to me, Azula. Let me help you."

"It's getting worse," Azula said softly. "Flares of temper I can't control, these visions- I'm losing control."

"And that's what bothers you, isn't it?" Ursa asked. "You were always so proud of your control- control of yourself, control of the people around you, control of the fire. Now you're losing that control, and you can't stand it."

"That's why I'm trying to find you, you know- because a spirit told me out of the fire that it was the only way."

"But that's not all, is it? There's something else you're afraid of."

Azula was still for a moment, then nodded. "Just before I left the Fire Nation, I met a girl who said she was the one who killed Father, and that she was going to kill me too. I shot lightning at her, and somehow she… bent it… around herself. I'd never seen anything like it before."

"And you're afraid of that," Ursa finished, "because it's something you don't understand, and you can't fight what you don't understand."

"Yes," Azula said. "That's why I need Ty Lee- she knows how to fight without bending."

"And you want to force her to risk her life for you before you even have a chance to ask her?" Ursa asked.

Azula snorted. "She was with me for years, Mother. I don't think she'd say no."

"Did you forget that the last time you met she attacked you to keep you from killing Mai? Maybe she's decided she doesn't want to follow you around and be your 'friend' any longer and is happy where she is? Did you ever think about what she wanted?"

"When I explain the situation to her, she'll come with me. I know it. And why should I listen to you anyway? You're not my mother- you're just a figment of my imagination."

Ursa smiled sadly. "If I only exist inside your head, then wouldn't that mean that everything I've said to you is something you actually believe, deep down?"

Azula closed her eyes tightly. "Leave me alone," she hissed.

When the princess opened her eyes again, her mother was gone.

#############

The Earth Kingdom was a territory more vast than that of the other three nations combined. Ruled from the great city of Ba Sing Se, it encompassed an entire continent and dozens of cultures. During the great War, it was the only power able to face the Fire Nation on its own terms before falling to treachery from within.

Still, even in times of peace a nation so vast could never be easily governed from one location. The Earth King's seat was in Ba Sing Se and all the kingdom acknowledged him as its rightful ruler, but subject kings, Bumi of Omashu the most notable among them, held virtual autonomy within their own cities. And in the farthest reaches of the continent there were smaller fiefdoms that paid obeisance to the Earth Kingdom in name only, if at all.

In one such place- a settlement that was too small to be properly termed a city, yet far larger than any village- there stood a fortress of grey stone that crumbled with age. Built by forgotten architects in a time when warlords squabbled over the land that would one day become a great nation, it had long ago fallen into ruin and been disregarded as a relic of a dark age. Several generations ago, however, the fortress had been taken over by a line of tyrants who would have hardly been out of place in the barbaric time of the fortress's construction.

The Lady Ursa, once wife of Fire Lord Ozai and mother of his two children, sat in a chamber near the top of the castle, hands crossed in her lap. The sun had just sunk below the horizon, and she knew that before long her captor would come to her. He was nothing, she had found, if not predictable.

He called himself Jian Chin*, though Ursa knew it was not his birth name but an honorific he had created for himself as a means of claiming kinship with a famous conqueror who had ruled the Earth Kingdom centuries ago. Ursa knew the legend of Chin the Great as well as any, and had pointed out to the man on more than one occasion that taking the name of someone who had been defeated by the Avatar in a humiliating fashion was hardly a way to greatness, but as usual he ignored her. Her husband Ozai had been a monster, albeit an intelligent and successful one. Jian Chin was little more than a brute.

Ursa had come to his domain many years ago, banished from the Fire Nation by her husband after she had killed his father, Fire Lord Azulon, even though murdering the old man had been Ozai's idea in the first place. Ozai had attempted to wrest the throne from his brother Iroh on account of the death of the older prince's son, Lu Ten, and Azulon had, in a rage, commanded that Ozai kill his own son as punishment. Ursa had been horrified, but all Ozai saw was an opportunity. And so in one fell swoop he conceived of a plan that would rid him of his father, brother, and wife in a single fell swoop.

Fleeing from her homeland, Ursa had passed through the Earth Kingdom, looking for a village where she could live in anonymity, and yet be close enough to news that she could watch over her family from afar. Unfortunately she had encountered during her journeys a gang of thugs who recognized her as Fire Nation nobility. They waited until nightfall and then seized her, carrying her away to their master, Jian Chin.

The warlord had long dreamed of rising up at the head of an army and laying the four nations low before him, but had never found the courage to actually attempt such a thing. Still, he surrounded himself with trappings that emphasized power and glory, as if hoping that somehow it would reflect upon himself. Jian Chin was pleased when his men brought Ursa to him, feeling that if he claimed the hand of the Fire Lord's exiled wife for himself it would greatly increase his standing and power. Ursa refused him- she no longer wished to be a tool for evil men.

Jian Chin was furious. He imprisoned her in a tower atop his palace and refused to let her leave, though he was still convinced he could make her love him, given time. The only thing that kept him from forcing her to marry him was his own ego- he couldn't imagine that any woman could deny him for long. Ursa, at last count, had been denying him for close to seven years now, but still the warlord persisted in his nightly visits. At first she had feared Jian Chin- now she merely found him pitiful.

As if on cue Ursa heard the keys rattling in the lock on her door. After a moment it swung open and the warlord himself entered, looking for all the world like some mad hybrid of platypus-bear and peacock. Jian Chin was a huge man, his hair and beard thick and black, his body possessed of an earthbender's hard muscles. A gaudy golden crown balanced on his head (it had clearly been intended for a man or woman with a much smaller head) and his green robes were festooned with medals and decorations.

"Why do you persist in this, Jian Chin?" Ursa asked wearily. "You must have realized long ago that I will never love you. Release me, I beg of you- my imprisonment does not serve either of us."

Jian Chin removed his crown and knelt. "My Lady," he said in his rough voice, "you know that I can offer you glory beyond your imagining. One day soon my warriors and I shall ride forth from this place and sweep towards Ba Sing Se, and then the Earth Kingdom shall be mine. I offer you the chance for glory by my side. Why do you deny it?"

"Because it is false," Ursa said. "You will never leave this place. For years I have heard you speak of how you will conquer the Earth Kingdom, but you have never made even the slightest attempt to prepare for it. And even if you were crowned Earth King tonight I would not marry you. I had my fill of glory in the Fire Nation, and I am weary of the ambitions of evil me."

Jian Chin scowled. "So be it," he said. He motioned for his guards and they entered the room, bearing trays of food and cups of hot tea. "For you, My Lady," the warlord said, "in the hopes that you might see the light. Farewell, for now. We will speak again tomorrow." Jian Chin turned and stalked from the room, his guards trailing behind him.

When they were gone, Ursa made no move to touch the food. Speaking with Jian Chin always robbed her of her appetite, and the meal would still be there later. True it would be cold, but while Ursa wasn't much of a firebender, she was skilled enough to heat a cup of tea.

Meeting with Jian Chin always put her in mind of her husband, and the night when she had been forced to flee the Fire Nation. She did not regret killing Azulon- the old Fire Lord had been a cruel tyrant, though not to the extent of his son- but at the same time guilt filled her soul. For by killing Azulon, Ursa had ensured that the cruel Ozai would take command of the most powerful military in the world, rather than his wiser brother. As a result, all of the blood that her husband had shed during his tyrannical reign could be laid at her feet as well. Yet how could she not have acted? How could any mother have refused the course of action that would save her son? It had been an unwinnable choice that Ozai had laid before her.

Ursa was a prisoner then, and remained a prisoner to this day. Only the scenery had changed.

*Jian Chin= Child of Chin


	6. Chapter 5: On Kyoshi Island

**Chapter 5: On Kyoshi Island**

The sound of a metal gauntlet rapping lightly against a steel door sounded in the small cabin, and Azula's eyes snapped open.

"What is it?" she demanded, sitting up.

"We have reached Kyoshi Island, princess," the soldier on the other side of the door said. "We'll be anchoring in the harbor shortly."

"Tell Captain Shin I will join him on deck presently." As the soldier's footsteps receded, Azula rose from her bed and quickly dressed in her travel clothes. The princess was used to having servants help her in such mundane tasks, but she'd always made certain that unlike some noblewomen, she could do them herself if the need arose. After slipping her flame hairpin into place and taking a final quick look at her reflection, she hurried out onto the deck.

The sun was just rising over the horizon as the ship anchored itself in the natural harbor nearest to the main village of Kyoshi Island. Captain Shin stood on the bridge directing operations, and Azula came to stand next to him.

"You'll be able to go ashore shortly, princess," the captain said without looking at her. "I recommend that you find your friend as quickly as you can so that we can leave. There's some sort of giant eel in the water around this island, and though we managed to scare it off with firebending, there's no guarantee it doesn't have friends."

Azula doubted that- in her experience, large and powerful beings were not generally inclined to share territory with potential rivals. Still, she agreed wholeheartedly that dangerous monsters were not pleasant company, and vowed to complete her business here quickly.

The ship slowly turned its metal bulk towards shore and the pointed prow was lowered to the beach, forming a ramp. Azula strode down onto the beach, accompanied by Captain Shin and two of his firebenders and they began to march inland.

A statue of Avatar Kyoshi, perched on the top of a wooden pole, was the first part of the village that Azula saw. The former Avatar was depicted dressed in a green robe, holding her battle-fans in a familiar pose. Having encountered the Kyoshi Warriors before (and briefly impersonated one, for that matter) Azula could most certainly see the resemblance between the female fighters and their source of inspiration. To the princess's eyes, though, the statue held itself with an elegant poise that outclassed any of the current Warriors- this was an opponent Azula found herself quietly glad she'd never had to face.

They walked into the heart of the village and the people stopped and stared, some of them retreating into their homes. Azula had heard that Zuzu and his men had largely wrecked the place during his search for the Avatar- clearly, these people were still leery of firebenders. One man appeared to be so flustered that he collapsed to the ground foaming at the mouth, and Azula had to repress a smirk. Even at the worst of her madness, _she_ never drooled on herself.

A bearded, dignified older man stepped out of the crowd and strode towards the firebenders. "You're not wanted here," he said. "The war is over."

Azula stepped forward and raised her hands. "We're not here to fight," she said. "I just want to talk to the Kyoshi Warriors. Where are they?"

The old man scowled. "Why do you want to know?"

"One of them is an old friend. I want to talk to her. Is that a crime on this island?"

The village leader sighed. "Very well." He pointed deeper into the island. "They have a dojo in that direction. They'll be training there now."

Azula turned and began to walk in the indicated direction, not sparing the old man a second glance. Behind her, Captain Shin scowled and walked over to the leader, thanking him for his help in a quiet voice. Then the captain and his men followed after the princess.

The Kyoshi Warriors' dojo was not hard to find- it stood at the end of the path, right at the edge of a small forest. Azula paused as she approached, remembering her last encounter with these girls and formulating something to say that would allow her to avoid an attack long enough to talk to Ty Lee.

That choice was taken from her when a girl wearing the distinctive dress-armor of the Warriors stepped outside and began to walk towards the village, apparently needing to fetch something from the locals. She noticed the firebenders almost immediately and stopped, stunned- then her eyes widened with recognition as they fixed on Azula.

"Suki!" the warrior shouted, drawing her sword and war fan and holding both weapons at the ready. In an instant the other warriors were hurrying outside, all of them looking ready for a fight and glaring daggers at the princess. Ty Lee was nowhere to be seen.

Suki, the Kyoshi Warriors' leader, stepped forward. "You," she said, glaring at Azula. "I heard from Aang and Katara that you'd been released, but I never thought you'd come here. Looking for a rematch?"

Azula was seized with a burning desire to take Suki up on her offer and leave the bending-less warrior a smoldering husk on the ground. She'd learn then not to talk to a princess of Sozin's blood in that manner then. The Kyoshi warriors were good, true, but Azula knew from experience that she was better. A nagging voice in the back of her mind told her that she'd had Mai and Ty Lee with her last time and she was no match for them all by herself, and that this wasn't what she was here for anyway, but she ignored it.

The princess's fists clenched and flames sprang into life around them. Suki stepped back slightly, and Azula smiled. "You should have learned your lesson last time, peasant," she hissed. "Apparently you need to learn it again."

"We'll see about that," Suki snapped back. Both girls dropped into crouches, flames and weapons at the ready- and then Captain Shin stepped between them, hands outstretched.

"This is meaningless!" he said in a tone that brooked no argument. "You did not come here to fight, princess, and you should remember that." He looked over at Suki. "And I think you should at least listen to what she has to say. She did not come here to harm you."

Azula felt her anger fade as suddenly as it had arrived, and she stumbled back and leaned against a nearby tree, feeling drained. Suki watched her carefully, and then, apparently decided it wasn't a trick, she lowered her own weapons. The other warriors relaxed somewhat, but remained tense. "All right," Suki said. "I'll be civil if _she_ will."

The princess shook herself and stepped forward again, now every inch the controlled royal warrior. "My brother has allowed me to leave the Fire Nation on a mission," Azula said. "Our mother, Ursa, was banished to the Earth Kingdom by our father. It is my intention to find her and return her to the Fire Nation. I came here to ask Ty Lee to join me."

Suki's eyes widened and she shook her head. "I can't believe you," she said. "You actually expect us to trust you? To help you? Most of us spent the better part of a year in prison because of you!"

"I don't need _your_ help," Azula snapped. "I just need to talk to Ty Lee."

"All right," a voice said from near the back of the Kyoshi Warriors. They parted as a figure with a bouncing step and perpetual perky grin came out from behind them. "Here I am! Oh, hi Azula." Ty Lee paused and looked around at the other warriors, and then at the firebenders. "Was everybody fighting out here or something?"

"Where were you?" Azula asked incredulously.

"I was out back, practicing acrobatics. They have the best trees for climbing and jumping around here, you know." Ty Lee shrugged. "Then I heard the commotion and came over here to check it out, and I heard my name, so here I am! Did you want to talk to me?"

The last time the two had met face to face, Azula had been lying paralyzed on the ground after Ty Lee used her chi-blocking ability to keep her from killing- or possibly, Azula had to admit, being killed by- Mai. In spite of that, the acrobat was still talking to her old 'friend' in what would be, in most people, an unnaturally upbeat and friendly tone. Still, there was something more guarded in Ty Lee's eyes than there had been before. She might not be holding a grudge against Azula, but it was clear she no longer trusted her.

"She wants you to help find her mother," Suki said. "I guess she does care about something."

"Don't be mean," Ty Lee said. "Azula cares about lots of things- er, very deep down." The acrobat turned to look at the princess, and her expression was sad. "But I can't go with you, Azula. Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors are my friends too, and right now I still have a lot to learn from them- and most of them haven't picked up how to block chi too well, either. But I do hope you find your mom. She was nice."

At Ty Lee's words Azula shivered. She remembered a dark cloak and merciless violet eyes, and a hand that could deflect lightning as easily as air. "Ty Lee," she said, "If you come with me, I'll let you come back to Kyoshi Island when everything is done. But there are things about this that I haven't told anyone, and- I need your help." The last was a whisper.

Suki looked stunned, and Ty Lee uncharacteristically thoughtful. "Let me talk to Suki," she said.

############

Suki allowed Ty Lee to pull her aside behind the dojo. "You're not actually considering this, are you?" she asked. "I mean, I'm all for second chances- I teamed up with Zuko to escape the Boiling Rock even though he nearly burned the village down, and even Sokka was a bit of a jerk the first time I met him. But Azula? There's just something _creepy_ about her. You of all people should know that!"

"Yeah, she can be pretty creepy," Ty Lee admitted, suppressing a giggle as she remembered a young nobleman on Ember Island who'd gotten more than he bargained for when flirting with the warrior princess. "But I've known her for years, Suki, and what she said to me there isn't why I'm thinking about changing my mind. It was what she looked like. She was scared, Suki- and Azula's not afraid of anything."

"Your point?"

"If something's so bad that Azula's afraid of it," Ty Lee said, "then she's in trouble, and she needs help. She's my friend, Suki- I can't just turn my back on her, even after everything she's done."

"Friend?" Suki asked. "You were her tool, from everything I've heard you say. Why do you want to go back to that?"

Ty Lee suddenly turned a half a cartwheel and was now standing on her hands- Suki had noticed this distracting tendency to do acrobatics while talking before and didn't let it faze her. "She may not have taken friendship seriously, but I do. And her mom never hurt anybody, so if she's in trouble she needs help too." The acrobat leaped back to her feet and gave Suki a hug that was almost painful- Ty Lee was stronger than she looked and managed to throw all of it into displays of affection. "You've been a good friend too, Suki. I'll be back- I promise."

############

Azula looked up and saw Ty Lee and Suki coming towards her. "Well?" she asked.

Ty Lee beamed. "I'm coming."

############

The shadow crouched near the prow of the ship, hidden to all but the most attentive eyes. It had been child's play for her to sneak on board, and easier still to keep the crew from discovering her. People, she had found in the last year, could be shockingly unobservant.

Her violet eyes focused on the shoreline. The princess was returning with her warriors and a perky girl who must be the one called Ty Lee. Looking at the acrobat's jaunty walk and perpetual grin, the shadow was forcibly reminded of another girl who had once taken delight in all things she saw in the world around her, before it all fell apart…

Cursing, the shadow pulled herself out of her memories as the princess mounted the ship's ramp. Azula was observant- the shadow had to give her credit. She couldn't run the risk of being noticed now, so she pulled swiftly away from the prow and crept down into the bowels of the vessel.

The plan was working, so far. Azula was desperate enough to admit she needed help, but Ty Lee would not save her. For years the Fire Nation and its princess had lorded over the weak, reveling in the terror they inspired- but no longer. Now the tables were turned, and Azula would be the one feeling fear. She would come to know that her royal birth meant nothing, that all her power and ingenuity could not save her- and then, when she was completely broken, she would die.

It wasn't the sum total of the shadow's revenge- far from it. But, with one exception, it would surely prove to be the most enjoyable.


	7. Chapter 6: A New Heading

**Chapter 6: A New Heading **

Azula sat in the belly of her small ship as it sailed away from Kyoshi Island, staring across the table at Ty Lee and wondering at the strange turns that life took. More than a year ago the two of them- and Mai- had disguised themselves as Kyoshi Warriors to infiltrate Ba Sing Se and leave it open for the Fire Lord's armies and succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. They captured not only the city but the traitor General Iroh, brought Zuko back into the fold, and neutralized the Avatar completely for weeks, returning home in triumph. Now Zuko was Fire Lord and it was Azula who was disgraced, while Ty Lee had become a Kyoshi Warrior in truth. Had this been someone else's life, the princess would have found the irony highly amusing.

Ty Lee was wearing Earth Kingdom green, rather than her customary red and pink (though this particular shade of green was far brighter and more upbeat than any Azula had ever seen someone born in the Earth Kingdom wear), and she had washed off the distinctive facepaint that the Kyoshi Warriors wore to honor the famous Avatar. She'd already stowed her luggage- consisting of a few changes of clothes, a fan, a shield, and a sword- in her cabin before joining Azula in the hold. The princess had been rather surprised to see the weapons and commented on them.

"I know," Ty Lee said, shaking her head. "I told Suki I didn't need them, but she said that those are what Avatar Kyoshi used and I needed to be familiar with them." She brightened. "Hey, isn't it a rule or something that royalty have to know swordfighting? You can help me practice!"

"Maybe." Azula _did_ know how to use a sword, but unlike her brother she'd never taken the time to become truly skilled with it, preferring to focus on her far more powerful, versatile, and useful firebending. At any rate, the proud princess had no intention of demonstrating a skill she wasn't among the best at.

Ty Lee stared at Azula for a moment, a scowl flitting across her expressive face. "You shouldn't be so down, you know," she said. "It's bad for you. Come on- the war is over, the sun is shining, and we're off on a big, fun adventure! Cheer up!"

"The war is over because we lost, we can't see the sun from inside the ship, and I have to go on this 'adventure' to keep myself from going crazy again." Azula chuckled bitterly. "Forgive me for not enjoying myself."

"Now you sound like Mai," Ty Lee observed. "Hey, don't glare at me like that! I was just saying that all that doom and gloom sounded like something Mai would say."

Azula was about to respond when the door to the hold opened and Captain Shin stepped inside, a roll of paper under one arm. He seated himself by the table and laid the paper out flat, revealing a map of the Earth Kingdom. "As you're most likely aware," he said, "we're currently leaving Kyoshi waters and heading back towards the Earth Kingdom proper. Princess, this is your expedition, and I would greatly appreciate it if you would enlighten me as to exactly where we're going next."

Azula stared at the map for several minutes without speaking. "I know that my mother is being held prisoner somewhere in the eastern Earth Kingdom, but beyond that Agni didn't supply me with the details. That isn't nearly specific enough for what we need."

Ty Lee's eyes widened. "_Agni_told you where to find your mom? Couldn't you just make a fire and ask him again?"

Azula rolled her eyes. "Agni is a lord among spirits, Ty Lee. Great leaders don't come at the call of people they see as beneath them. It's undignified. If Agni has anything else to tell me, he'll do it in his own time."

"Maybe he wants you to figure this out yourself." Ty Lee looked at Azula intently. "Do you know of any way to find help?"

"The only person in the Fire Nation who knew where Mother went was Father, and with him dead I don't know of anyone else who could be useful."

Ty Lee thought for a moment, then brightened. "What about your uncle? He knows lots of stuff! And Suki says he's part of some kind of pai sho club with lots of other smart people. I bet they can help!"

"Uncle Iroh!" Azula snorted. Of all her family, her uncle was the one she understood the least, and so had a tendency to overlook him unless she knew he was involved. Father was supremely ambitious and Zuzu had his honor fixation, but Iroh never seemed motivated by anything except of love of tea and pai sho- which was utterly at odds with his reputation as one of the greatest generals in the history of the Fire Nation, and a firebender to rival his brother to boot. Azula never could understand her uncle, and she had little love for what she couldn't understand.

"Even if I thought he would be able to help me- or that he would even _want_ to help me- I have no idea where he is." Azula turned back to the map, declaring this line of conversation closed.

Ty Lee, however, didn't seem to get the message. "I know where he is," she said. "He's got a tea shop in Ba Sing Se."

"You're not serious." Azula slowly rotated her head to stare at Ty Lee, an expression of incredulous disbelief written across her face. She knew that Iroh had started a tea shop while on the run, but the notion that any royalty would sink to such a position permanently was utterly incomprehensible. Then again, the princess thought, if there was ever any royal who would do something that crazy, it would be Uncle Iroh.

"I am serious!" Ty Lee said indignantly. "The Kyoshi Warriors were in Ba Sing Se for a festival a few months ago and we went there, and your uncle makes really good tea. He serves it himself, too, and makes really funny jokes."

Azula found herself torn. On the one hand she had never been remotely close to her uncle and it was becoming increasingly obvious that the old man had absolutely no respect for the royal line from which he came. On the other hand, he _had_ been one of the few people in the palace to continue holding her mother's respect, and despite her opinion of him Azula had to admit that Iroh had an uncanny talent for knowing exactly what was needed when. More to the point, it was the only lead she had.

"Very well," the princess said. "We sail for Ba Sing Se." She stood. "Now then, I need air and sun." Without another word she turned and departed from the room, shutting the door behind her.

#############

Ty Lee stood to follow Azula when she felt a hand on her arm. Turning, she saw Captain Shin, who had remained silent for most of the discussion.

"Would you mind staying for a moment?" the captain said.

"Sure." Ty Lee sat back down in the chair and pulled her legs up into it. "What d'you want to talk about?"

"The princess," Shin said. "You know her much better than I ever will, most likely, and I'd just like to try and understand her better. She isn't an easy person to talk to."

Ty Lee giggled. "I know that."

Shin leaned forward. "I know that you and Lady Mai travelled with Azula during the war, before the… complications that happened later on. Was she the same then as she is now?"

"Kind of," Ty Lee said. "I mean, she's always been ruthless and not an easy person to get along with, but she was always in control before, if you know what I mean. Now she's lost control and that scares her. I think that's why she's taking her temper out on everyone."

"Why did you stay with her, then? I have orders to help her do what she has to and bring her home in one piece, but you're not part of the military. You're nobility, aren't you?"

Ty Lee snorted. "Yeah, but that wasn't very fun. I always wanted to join the circus, and then I met the Kyoshi Warriors and decided I wanted to be one of them. But, well, Azula's a hard person to say no to- and I think she needs friends, even if she won't admit it."

"Why would you think that?" Shin seemed genuinely mystified.

"Well, she likes to cut herself off from people because she thinks it makes her stronger, whatever that means. But when she does that she gets even colder and even more ruthless- you know, she only went crazy after she thought Mai and me turned on her? Mai just wanted to save Zuko, and I didn't want my two best friends killing each other, but she didn't see it that way. Having friends around reminds her that she's, you know, an actual human being." Ty Lee closed her eyes and hung her head. "Sometimes I think she's so sad, and she doesn't even know it."

Captain Shin stood. "Thank you for telling me that, Ty Lee. I do appreciate it."

"I'll talk to you anytime!" Ty Lee leaped to her feet and wrapped the startled captain in an embrace. "I love making new friends!" And with that, beaming, the acrobat bounded from the room.

#############

Azula paced back and forth on the deck, her scowl causing the crew to give her a wide berth. She hated having to rely on her uncle- and at someone else's suggestion, no less!- but there was no escaping that this was her only option.

"Is it?" a cold voice said from nearby. Azula didn't need to look to see that her father now kept pace with her, his face expressionless. "You are forgetting who you are, my daughter- that is the source of your troubles. Remember what I taught you- people are week. You can only rely on yourself, because everyone else will fail you or betray you."

Azula spun to face him. "I tried that once and ended up a mindless beast chained in front of my own palace. I won't let that happen again. I will find my own way- not yours."

Ozai smiled. "But Azula, everything you are you owe to me. I made you, dear daughter, and you will never be free of me while you still draw breath."

Azula snarled and her fist snapped up, shooting a blast of blue fire at her father's smirking image- only to have it shoot harmlessly over the deck as the hallucination faded, leaving only mocking laughter hanging in the air. Azula stood there on the deck, panting heavily, and when she looked up she saw Ty Lee staring at her.

"Azula," the other girl asked, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing," the princess snapped, turning away from the acrobat and stalking towards her cabin. "Leave me alone."


	8. Chapter 7: The Dragon of the West

**Chapter 7: The Dragon of the West**

Azula remained in her cabin for most of the journey to Ba Sing Se, emerging only to eat and practice her firebending. Ty Lee (and Captain Shin, somewhat more rarely) made numerous attempts to force the princess out into the open, to no avail. The princess wasn't interested in talking- she found it humiliating having to go to her fat, silly old uncle for help and wasn't interested in being forced to talk about it.

"You know, Azula," Ty Lee's voice came from the other side of the door, "it's not gonna kill you to come out of there. I mean, you said yourself that you really needed me along for this, but you haven't said ten words to me since we decided to go to Ba Sing Se!"

"Go away, Ty Lee," Azula said for what felt like the tenth time in as many minutes.

"I know you don't want to talk Azula," the acrobat said, "but sometimes talking out your problems helped. Remember the beach on Ember Island? We all felt so much better after that."

Azula's lips involuntarily twitched into a smile. "I remember that. Then we went and burned down Chan's house."

"Well, he _was_ a jerk. I do wonder what his dad did when he found out. Do admirals have to pay for new houses themselves or does the military do it? Or do they each pay a little bit? I always wondered."

"Somehow I don't think it was Father," Azula said. "He didn't have any patience for officers who couldn't even keep their own affairs in order. I imagine that Chan wasn't one of the 'most important teenagers in the Fire Nation' for very long after that."

Ty Lee giggled, then fell silent. "We had a lot of fun, you know- well, I don't know if Mai did. She was always so gloomy all the time. Or maybe Mai's only having fun when she's gloomy. Does that even work?"

"Do you have a point?"

"Well, I mean what we did during the war was fun and all, but it wasn't really all that fun for everyone. We were trying to help your dad take over the world, and a lot of people would've got hurt if he did that. But this time we're trying to find someone who's in trouble, and that's a good thing, right?"

Azula sighed. "I'm not doing this because its good, Ty Lee. I need to save my mother to save my own sanity. I needed your help. But I think you know me better than to think I'm trying to be some kind of heroine."

Ty Le giggled again. "I know you don't mean to, Azula. I didn't mean to wind up friends with the Kyoshi Warriors in prison, but sometimes things just happen. You just have to go with them."

Going with things as they happened had never been one of Azula's strong areas. "I get the idea, Ty Lee," she said. "Go away. I'm trying to sleep."

"Oh." Ty Lee sounded genuinely sorry. "Good night!" Azula lay down in her bed, turned over, and pulled the pillow over her head.

############

The ship sailed north around the coastline of the Earth Kingdom, bound for Ba Sing Se. The capital was located near the coastline of a large inlet, and during the war Fire Nation ships had succeeded in sailing close enough to deposit troops and weapons- most infamously a giant drill commanded by the now-imprisoned War Minister Qin and Azula herself- and Captain Shin foresaw no problem in reaching the area in a time of peace. There was the matter of the great Serpent that inhabited the waters, but like the Unagi of Kyoshi Island, it had learned its lesson about attacking firebenders.

As she ship sailed into Ba Sing Se waters, Azula and Ty Lee stood on the deck and watched the shoreline approaching. The acrobat leaned up against the railing, her eyes wide and straining to catch of glimpse of the great walls of Ba Sing Se- though she had seen them before, the sight of one of the great architectural marvels of the modern world never failed to be breathtaking. Azula hung back, letting memory fill her mind. On the barren plain beyond the shoreline they had fought a great battle with the Avatar and his friends as they attempted to stop the drill- and later she and her friends infiltrated the city in the guise of the Kyoshi Warriors.

That memory never failed to bring a smile to the princess's face. In Ba Sing Se she had met her match- not the Avatar or the fool Earth King, but a calm, calculating man named Long Feng who had held the city under his absolute control for years. Azula had always prided herself on being smarter and stronger than everyone else around her, but the way in which she had played the scheming minister and ultimately forced him and his Dai Li into her service remained one of her finest hours. It was easy being the best when everyone else was inferior- besting a truly worthy adversary proved her skill beyond doubt.

Azula was snapped from her reverie as the ship pulled in to dock. The princess sighed and pulled and pulled the hood of the cloak she was wearing up and over her face.

"What's that for?" Ty Lee asked. "You could just wear Earth Kingdom clothes like I am. Then we'd match!"

"First, I'm not in disguise this time, so I'm wearing Fire Nation colors. Second, the people of this city may remember my face, seeing as I conquered them once. I don't want to attract attention."

Ty Lee looked at the princess oddly. "So you're not in disguise because you don't want them to recognize you? That doesn't really make any sense, but if you say so…"

Captain Shin stepped up to the two girls. "I'll be allowing the men to go ashore here, seeing as they've been trapped in this ship for weeks now. When should I tell them to expect you back?"

Azula scowled. "I won't be taking long here, believe me. I should be back before nightfall."

Shin nodded. "Very well. Good luck, princess, Ty Lee."

The ship's gangplank was lowered to the shore, and Azula and Ty Lee descended to the dock. The acrobat's eyes focused on one thing and then another around them, but Azula put a hand on her arm and kept her on course. The last thing the princess wanted was to lose her companion before they even made it past the first wall.

An earthbender-powered train waited on tracks nearby to take newcomers beyond the walls and into the city proper. Two guards stood nearby, one eating some sort of fruit and the other simply seeming bored. Azula supposed that since the war ended their job had largely become little more than glorified greeters, and true enough as the two girls walked passed they welcomed them to the city but did nothing to impede their process. The younger of the two guards favored Ty Lee with a smile and she winked in return, but Azul grabbed her arm tighter and dragged her friend onto the train.

############

The shadow crept from the ship after the princess and her friend were gone and slipped onto the docks like a cold fog. Some of the milling workers could tell that she was their as she glided past them, but most simply put it down to a cold breeze and went on with their work. The shadow might not have been a bender, but she possessed powers that no other being- and least no other being of this world- could claim; when she didn't want to be seen, finding her was nearly impossible.

The earthbender train was just pulling out of station when she leapt on to it and climbed to the top, settling herself into a relatively comfortable position. She remembered this city well, for here dwelt one who would suffer her vengeance every bit as much as the arrogant princess in the train beneath her. The shadow remembered a calm, cruel voice and heavy lidded, emotionless eyes and smiled, picturing the man she sought and Azula facing each other once again. The princess thought she had defeated him, but he had only withdrawn to fight another day.

Soon the shadow would find him within the city, and then her one-time tormentor would become her deadly, unwitting pawn.

############

The Jasmine Dragon- much as she looked down on her uncle, Azula had to admit the name was appropriate- was located in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se, where it would cater to the wealthy, powerful, and all those with a taste in tea and the resources to afford it. As the train came to a halt past the inner wall, the princess and Ty Lee disembarked, the acrobat preparing to lead the way.

Azula's gaze was drawn to the Earth King's palace towering over every other building in the inner ring. It lacked the angular majesty of the Fire Lord's home, but made up for it in sheer size and presence. The palace was the size of some small cities, but in Ba Sing Se it was simply the beating heart. This city made the princess feel small and almost insignificant, and that was not pleasant to someone who had been raised on the knowledge that the world existed for her pleasure. Yet another reason to conclude her business here quickly and leave.

At last they came to the tea shop owned and operated by Iroh, former prince and general of the Fire Nation and Dragon of the West. A smiling girl of about their own age, dressed in green robes decorated with stylized dragons on the chest and sleeves, met them at the door.

"Good afternoon," she said with a bow. "Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon."

Ty Lee elbowed Azula. "I'll handle this," she said. "You scare people." The Kyoshi Warrior stepped forward and beamed. "I'm Ty Lee. We need a table, please."

The girl bowed again. "Follow me." She led them into the shop and Azula looked around for her uncle, but the distinctive old man was nowhere to be seen- not an easy task for someone of his girth. Probably in the back sampling his product, Azula thought.

The girl motioned at a table. "A server will be with you shortly," she said. "Enjoy your tea!" She turned to leave, but Azula grabbed her arm.

"What are you doing?" the girl hissed. "Are you trying to make a scene or something?"

Azula used her free hand to pull back her hood just enough that the other girl could see her glinting golden eyes. "Tell your boss," she said in a low voice, "that his niece is here to see him." The girl's green eyes widened and she nodded wordlessly, then hurried off into the back. Azula sat down and smirked.

Ty Lee frowned at her. "What was that for?" she asked. "You didn't need to scare her like that. We're already inside- I'm sure your uncle would've come by here eventually."

"I made sure of it," Azula said. "Besides, it's not like I'm ever going to see her again. Why should I bother with being polite?"

The two sat in silence for what felt an eternity, and then a shadow fell across the table. Azula looked up and saw an old man standing there dressed in a green robe and apron, his once-muscular form gone somewhat to fat. He wasn't scowling like she'd expected, and didn't seem angry at all, but neither was there the merry glint in his eyes that had led her as a child to dismiss him as someone unfit for his royal station. Instead he seemed almost… sad.

"Azula," Uncle Iroh said. "I have been expecting you."


	9. Chapter 8: An Unremarkable Man

**Chapter 8: An Unremarkable Man**

The midday sun rode high above Ba Sing Se, and much of the city (though not all- the Impenetrable City never truly slept) slowed to a crawl and people from all walks of life sat down to their meals. One such man nodded to himself in satisfaction as he felt his shop door lock click shut, and he turned slowly to make his way home.

The man was middle-aged, of average height, his eyes the green common in the Earth Kingdom. His head was completely bald (he led most of his acquaintances to believe it was natural, rather than shaved) and he wore a thin mustache, but otherwise there was nothing particularly noteworthy about him. Even those who had met him before would have had a hard time picking him out of a crowd. In another life, this blandness had come in quite handy for one who wished to rule a kingdom without ever sitting on the throne- if everyone devoted their attention towards the monarch, they failed to take note of the quiet figure in his shadow, leaving him free to work unnoticed. Now he was able to move through the city unnoticed, for though he was the most wanted criminal in all of Ba Sing Se, few indeed were those people on the street who could match his name to his face.

Of course, it helped when one still had a number of law-enforcement officials under one's influence. The Earth King had done his best to clean up his government, but in any political system there would always be corruption- and where there was corruption, the unremarkable man and his like would thrive.

The man came to his house- one of many similar places in the middle ring of the city, and n fact one of several that he directly or indirectly owned. He let himself in and was preparing to step into his kitchen and prepare a light lunch when he heard the slight rustle of cloth behind him.

"I know you're there," he said softly. "Come out where I can see you."

The shadows in a corner seemed to shimmer, and a person- a woman or girl, but the looks of them- emerged, wrapped in a dark cloak. She stepped in front of the man and smiled without mirth. The man was reminded forcibly of another young woman he once knew, and who was indirectly responsible for his present situation.

"Here I am," she said. "We have business to discuss."

"If you want to discuss business, come by my shop. It will be open again in an hour, and I assure you I can sell you the finest tools of calligraphy in the inner ring."

"I'm not here for paper or brushes," the girl said. "It is you I want. I have a proposition I believe you will be interested in hearing."

"Who are you?" the man asked. "I prefer not to make deals with people unless I know who they are and how they think."

The girl cast back her hood, and the man started slightly at her strange eyes. "Oh, we've met before, though I'm not surprised you don't remember me. Your kind never gives their tools a second thought." Her merciless eyes narrowed. "But I know you- Long Feng."

#############

Azula kept her face perfectly neutral, refusing to let her uncle see her surprise. "Expecting me," she repeated. "That isn't possible. I only decided to come here after leaving the Fire Nation, and no one on the ship has a messenger hawk."

"Zuko sent a message to me telling me about your journey," Iroh said. "I had a feeling that you might find your way here eventually." The old man looked at her surprisingly shrewdly. "Will you come into the back with me? I do not think this is a conversation you want to have in front of everybody."

"Yes, of course." Azula stood. "Lead us to your back room."

The princess and Ty Lee followed Iroh into a small room in the rear of the shop that resembled the main room, except smaller and more private. Considering that the Jasmine Dragon was in the upper ring, Azula imagined that government officials came here fairly regularly, and like having a place to drink their tea and talk away from prying eyes.

A table stood in the middle of the room, and on it was a tea-pot and three cups. Ty Lee's eyes lit up when she saw it there, and the acrobat hurried over and poured herself a cup. After taking a sip she smiled contentedly, then wrapped the surprised Iroh in a tight embrace.

"It's even better than it was the last time I was here!"

"Thank you! It is good to see you again too, Ty Lee. It is always a pleasure to see someone who appreciates the good things in life." The old man extracted himself from the girl's arms, and all three sat down around the table. Iroh turned back to Azula, his expression becoming serious again. "I heard about what happened to Ozai," he said. "I am sorry."

Azula snorted. "No you're not. The two of you hated each other, and you didn't even show for his funeral."

Iroh chuckled. "I believe that Zuko had something to do with that. It seems he didn't want to drag me halfway around the world just for my brother, so I didn't get a message about the funeral until after it was already over."

"Really? I wouldn't have thought he'd be that devious."

Ty Lee looked up from her tea. "That's really not all that devious, Azula."

"I know. That's my point." The princess looked back at Iroh. "Anyway, that doesn't change what I said at all- you hated my father, so your sympathy rings hollow."

Iroh closed his eyes. "I did not hate Ozai. I hated what he did to people- both his subjects and his own family- and that was why I was his enemy. But he was still my brother." Iroh looked up, his eyes now glinting with familiar humor. "I visited him once in prison, you know. I even suggested that I might be able to convince Zuko to let him come and work in my tea shop. For some reason he wasn't very interested."

Ty Lee snorted into her tea, and even Azula had to hold back a chuckle at _that_ mental image. "I can imagine," she said softly.

Iroh took another sip of tea, and then looked Azula straight in the eyes. "But I don't think you came here to talk about your father. It is your other parent who concerns you now."

"Yes." Azula closed her eyes. "I need to find my mother, Uncle. I have been told that she's somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, but beyond that I don't know, and I'm not interested in wasting my life going over this continent with a fine-toothed comb. I was told that you are someone who might have more precise information."

"Hmmm." Iroh stroked his beard slowly. "You know, of course, that I was not in the Fire Nation when your mother was banished- I was still returning from the siege of Ba Sing Se. When I returned home, I found that my father was dead and my brother was on the throne, his wife nowhere to be seen. I confronted Ozai alone that night, and demanded to know what he had done. I was afraid that he had killed both Ursa and Azulon.

"He told me the true story of what happened. I think it amused him to show how he had triumphed over me and stolen my throne. I told him I did not care about the throne- I just wanted to know what happened to the people he used to get there. Ozai gestured to the east and said that he'd banished Ursa from the Fire Nation, but he did not specify where."

"So you don't know any more than I do," Azula said.

"I never said that!" Iroh exclaimed. "Allow me to finish. I knew that Ursa was no warrior, and she would be travelling through lands hostile to the Fire Nation. So I decided to have some old friends keep an eye out for her."

Ty Lee elbowed Azula. "That must be that pai sho club I told you about."

Iroh chuckled. "The Order of the White Lotus is more than a pai sho club. It is a society of wise masters from all four nations, dedicated to sharing and preserving culture and knowledge. There are members across the Earth Kingdom, and they were able to keep track of your mother and keep her safe until she passed beyond their knowledge."

"What do you mean?" Azula asked.

"The members of the Order of the White Lotus are all wise or powerful, but they are only human. And many of them are kings or generals with great responsibilities. Ursa was travelling east, hoping to get as far away from the Fire Nation as possible, and she left the Earth Kingdom proper and entered a lawless land ruled by petty bandit kings." He stood and walked over to a shelf, removing a map of the Earth Kingdom and rolling it out. "Here is where we lost track of her," he said, pointing at the beginning of a peninsula in the east.

"That is where she is now?" Azula asked.

"If a Fire Nation noblewoman was travelling the main Earth Kingdom, people would talk and someone in the Order of the White Lotus would hear." Iroh nodded. "If your mother is still alive, that is where she must be."

Azula looked up at him, eyes blazing. "She's alive," she hissed. "I know it. And she is imprisoned."

"There are many bandit lords in that area who would do something like that if they thought they could profit from it," Iroh said. "If one of them has your mother, then she needs your help."

"Very well." Azula stood and turned to leave. "Thank you, Uncle. Ty Lee, come with me."

"But Azula," Ty Lee said, "you didn't even drink any of your tea! Are we leaving already?"

"Yes." The princess's hand was on the door handle when she felt someone touch her shoulder gently. Turning, she saw her uncle.

"Ty Lee, would you mind going on ahead?" Iroh asked. "I would like to talk to my niece in private."

"Sure. It was great to see you again, General Iroh, and thanks a lot for the tea!" With a bounce in her step Ty Lee left the small room. When she was gone, Azula turned to Iroh.

"What do you want, Uncle?" she asked.

"I know why you are doing this, Azula," he said softly. "I have walked with the spirits before myself, and I can feel the echo of Agni's touch about you. This quest is about more than just finding your mother. You are going to have to find yourself as well."

"Don't pretend you understand me, Uncle," Azula snapped. "I'm not a little lost child like my brother or any of the others you've given your 'wise' advice to over the years. I know who I am, and what I want."

"Do you?" Iroh asked. "Or do you know who your father wanted you to be? Arrogance, hatred, cruel ambition- Ozai taught you all of those things, and they led you both down the path to ruin. Now you have a chance to rebuild yourself, and you need to forget the person your father forced you to become, and find out for the first time who _you_ are."

"You know nothing!" Azula hissed.

"Don't I?" Iroh asked. "When I was a young man, I was taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in the world, and that it was our destiny to rule the other bending nations. I believed in that, and I became Fire Lord Azulon's greatest general, the Dragon of the West. I like to think that I was a kinder leader than my father or brother, but I still conquered vast territories for the Fire Nation. Then I came up against Ba Sing Se, and I knew that it was my destiny to take it."

The old man's eyes closed, and Azula saw tears trickling from their edges. "And then I received word that my son Lu Ten had been killed in battle- a battle he was fighting on my orders. As I held his body I knew that it was my fault, and that the glory of the war was a lie. I learned my lesson, but it destroyed one I loved and it nearly destroyed me too. It is not too late for you, Azula. You can still turn back before you suffer. I know that we have never been close, but still, I do not wish for that to happen."

Azula stumbled back from her uncle, unsure of what to say in the face of a display that she had been taught to see as the most shameful weakness, coming from a man who she knew was perhaps the greatest firebender alive. The princess was reminded yet again that she did not understand Iroh, but a part of her wondered now whether she should have tried.

The old general dried his eyes and turned back to Azula. "Go now," he said. "May the spirits walk with you. I hope that you find your way before it is too late. Our family has suffered too much already."

Azula turned and hurried from the room, leaving Iroh behind alone. Ty Lee waited in the main room of the tea shop, hurrying to Azula's side when she saw her. "What did he say?" she asked. "It must have been pretty important if he wanted to talk to you about it alone."

"I don't want to talk" the princess said. "We're going back to the ship."

#############

"My name is Li," the man who had once been called Long Feng said calmly. "I'm certain you have the wrong man."

Violet eyes flashed. "You are Long Feng, once Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se and head of the Dai Li. You are one of the most skilled earthbenders in the world, and a politician clever enough to rule this city from behind the throne for years. Now you disguise yourself as a simple merchant to avoid imprisonment. But I know you well."

Long Feng studied her shadowed features intently, unable to place them. That was a rarity- the former minister had an excellent memory for faces and seldom forgot one. Still, the girl knew who he really was and that made her dangerous.

"Assuming I am who you say I am," he said, "what could you possibly have to offer that would interest me- unless, of course, you were sent here by Kuei to admit he has been misbehaving and is in need of my help?"

The shadow-girl laughed softly. "I'm afraid not. I merely offer information. The architect of your ultimate downfall is within your grasp- Princess Azula is in Ba Sing Se even now."

Long Feng shrugged. "What of it? Revenge is a fool's game- it distracts your energies from more worthwhile and productive pursuits. I have spent the last year inserting agents back into Ba Sing Se's power structure- do you think I would compromise that for a chance to kill only one of the people responsible for my present condition?"

"Perhaps I have a different plan in mind. Have you heard by any chance of the Lady Ursa?"

Long Feng nodded. "Fire Lord Ozai's wife. He banished her from the Fire Nation years ago, and she wandered the Earth Kingdom for some time before vanishing. Most of my sources believed her dead. What of her?"

"She is alive," the girl hissed. "Azula seeks her. If you play this situation right, you could profit from it greatly."

Long Feng thought he had an idea of where this was going, but kept his expression neutral. "Enlighten me," he said.

"Fire Lord Zuko loves his mother dearly. Whoever brings her home would have his choice of rewards. Money, land- or perhaps a position in his government." Violet eyes narrowed. "You are too well-known here now to ever fully regain your influence, but the Fire Nation government was almost totally dismantled after the War, because so many of the ministers collaborated willingly with Fire Lord Ozai. Zuko needs the support of experienced men. Surely the two of you could find common ground."

"Indeed," Long Feng mused. "Azula will lead me directly to her mother- and when she has done so, the Fire Princess can be removed and I can claim my leverage. A neat scheme, all told, with minimal effort required on my part." He looked darkly at his visitor. "In fact, I wonder how exactly you plan to benefit from it."

The girl's eyes burned with hate. "Seeing Azula fail within sight of her goal will be reward enough. The princess must learn what it is to suffer and die without hope."

"I see." Long Feng thought he understood this strange visitor more closely now- she was clever, but her motivation was hatred, and that made her a dangerous loose boulder. He would tolerate her presence so long as she proved useful, but he knew better than to trust her. Sooner or later, she would have to be disposed of.

"Do you have a name?" he asked. "I prefer to know who I am dealing with."

Beneath her hood, the girl smiled. "You may call me Wei Ming*."

Long Feng extended his hand and the girl took it. "Then, Wei Ming," he said as they shook, "I believe this is the start of a most auspicious partnership."

*Wei Ming= twilight


	10. Chapter 9: The Chase Begins

**Chapter 9: The Chase Begins**

"Azula, slow down!" Ty Lee panted. The princess was stalking down the streets of Ba Sing Se as fast as she could without losing her dignity, cloak blowing in the wind. The acrobat found herself having to rush to keep up. "What's the hurry?"

"I know where mother probably is now," Azula replied. "I want to get back to the ship as fast as possible so that I can continue with my search." _And put as much distance between me and uncle as possible,_ she added silently. _You're wrong, old man. I know who I am and what I want. You'll see!_

Absorbed in her thoughts, Azula kept to her course without deviating, pushing commoners out of her way as they neared the crowded station. Ty Lee followed a step behind, apologizing profusely and occasionally shooting a worried glance at her friend. Finally the two girls arrived at the tracks, and after a brief wait were able to board a train bound for the docks.

They sat down on two seats away from the rest of the passengers, and Ty Lee turned to Azula. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked. "You don't look so good. It's probably because you didn't have any of your Uncle's tea- I've heard that he says it's the remedy for everything."

"He does," Azula replied. "I don't agree. Tea is just a drink like any other- there's nothing special about it. And I'm fine, so stop worrying about me."

"If you say so," Ty Lee said, but she looked unconvinced. With a sudden jolt the train began to move, and Azula turned to look out the window at the city she had once conquered- and stopped, staring. A figure stood in the shadows behind one of the stations pillars, and at first the princess thought it was her shadowy nemesis- then another look proved her wrong. This figure's robes were dark green, not some strange black-violet, and its features were concealed not by a hood but by a wide brimmed hat.

Memory flashed through her mind- seeing figures like that the first time she arrived in Ba Sing Se disguised as the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, learning of their significance from the Earth King himself… meeting Long Feng in his cell and together hatching a scheme that brought the Earth Kingdom to its knees… subverting his followers to her cause, proving once and for all that the will and charisma of true royalty trumped the patient plotting of a commoner any day… two of the robed figures fighting by her side on the Day of Black Sun, when firebending lost ints power…

And in the end sending them away, for they had betrayed their old master and would most certainly do the same to her, given time…

"Azula!" she heard Ty Lee's voice as if from a great distance and shook herself out of the past. "What's wrong?" the acrobat asked, looking concerned. "You kind of went away there, except you didn't really go anywhere, and it was a little scary."

The princess seized Ty Lee by the arm. "The Dai Li," she said. "After the War ended, _what happened to the Dai Li_?"

"Well, I don't know a whole lot," the acrobat admitted, "but what I heard was that the Earth King pretty much gutted them. He couldn't just get rid of them- something about how they'd made themselves too important to running the city- but he was able to take away most of their power. They're just a bunch of administrators now- what's left of them." She winced. "You're hurting me."

Azula didn't apologize, but she did release Ty Lee's arm. "I saw one of them," she said softly. "He was standing on the platform watching this train."

"He probably was waiting for another train to come and take him home," Ty Lee said. "They're not allowed to spy on people or kidnap them anymore. It's no big deal that you saw one."

Somehow Azula doubted that any of the Dai Li agents she had known would have concerned themselves with rules that they thought inconvenienced their true mission- maintaining order in Ba Sing Se at all costs. The Earth King was an idealistic fool if he thought otherwise- but then, Azula had met the man, and in her opinion "idealistic fool" summed him up quite well. Still, there was probably a perfectly rational explanation for the agent's presence- probably he just wanted to make sure that the crazy Fire Nation princess left his city as soon as possible. Yes, that had to be it.

But there was still one nagging worry. "And Long Feng?" Azula asked. "What happened to him?"

Ty Lee shrugged. "Nobody knows. They say he just disappeared."

Which meant that one of the most potentially dangerous people in the world was still on the loose. Well, Azula had never lacked for enemies. If Long Feng was smart, he'd stay far away, but if he decided he wanted to mess with her, he would soon learn exactly what a bending prodigy of the Fire Royal House was capable of.

#############

The sun was beginning to sink towards the horizon as Azula and Ty Lee arrived back at the ship. In the evening light the harbor water seemed to be painted gold, and the acrobat stopped by the railing to stare at it, but Azula approached Captain Shin where he stood in the middle of the deck, staring off into the distance.

"Did you find out anything of value, princess?" he asked.

"I did," she replied. "Have one of your men fetch a map." Shin nodded and motioned one of the sailors over, relaying Azula's order. He hurried below deck and returned moments later with a rolled-up sheet, which was revealed to be a world map as he held it open and handed it to the captain.

"We're here," Azula said, pointing to the shoreline near Ba Sing Se. "According to my uncle, the place where we are most likely to find Mother is here." Her finger slid along the map, coming to rest on the eastern peninsula her uncle had shown her.

"Are you certain that is what General Iroh said?" Shin asked, looking surprised. "That's a bad region, princess- cut off from the Earth King here, or Bumi in Omashu, supposed to be ruled by outlaws and lowlifes."

"I'm sure it is," Azula said. "Uncle Iroh said much the same thing. But that is where my mother is, so that is where we're going. As soon as all of the crew have returned, we're leaving."

Shin help up his hand. "You may be a princess," he said, "but you're in disgrace, and this is my ship. That means that I can pull rank if I want, and I'd rather not. We're not going to be able to fight our way through the sort of scum you'll get out there with just yourself, your friend, the crew, and a half-dozen firebenders. Fire Lord Zuko wants your mother back every bit as much as you do- we'll return to the capital and pick up more ships and more men, maybe even your brother himself. Then we can handled whatever is out there."

"No," Azula snarled, twin balls of blue flame forming around her clenched fists. "'This is _my_ quest, not Zuko's! Mine! I conquered the Earth Kingdom by myself, because I was able to outsmart and outmaneuver everyone else. I can do the same to a handful of bandit lords. We are going there, not the Capital."

She could see the fear in Shin's eyes, but he stood his ground anyway. "And if I refuse?"

Azula smiled tightly. "Then maybe it is time for a new captain here. What say you- Agni Kai?"

"If you insist." Shin dropped into a fighting stance. "Shall we do it now, or wait for the crew?"

"Stop it!" a voice shouted from nearby, and Ty Lee threw herself between the two firebenders.

"Get out of the way, girl," Shin said.

"Yes, Ty Lee, move. This doesn't concern you."

"Yes, it does." Ty Lee faced Azula, tears brimming in her eyes. "This is just like at the Boiling Rock- you can't just go around attacking everybody who disagrees with you, or pretty soon there won't be anybody left, and you'll just get worse, not better! I won't let you do that to yourself. If you try this, Azula, I will stop you. You know I can."

The acrobat turned to face Shin. "And you need to understand that she needs to do this by herself. She thinks it's the only chance she's got left. You can't just bring Zuko into it and expect her to let that happen without a fight."

Azula lowered her hands and extinguished her flame, Captain Shin doing the same. "Very well," she said softly. "This is your ship. Do whatever you want with it."

"And it is your quest," the captain said. "We will go to seek your mother. I follow your lead." His eyes sparked for a moment. "Within reason." Then he turned and marched towards the bridge, map in hand.

Azula and Ty Lee stood on the deck without speaking for several minutes. "There aren't a lot of people who'd throw themselves between two firebenders like that," the princess finally said.

"I don't like seeing people get hurt," Ty Lee said quietly. "I know you don't care about that, but I do. That's why I learned chi blocking instead of knives or swords or firebending- so I can fight without having to kill anyone."

She looked at Azula straight on. "And I didn't like seeing you the way you were there. You could be scary before, when you wanted to be, but that was like you weren't in control at all."

"I know," Azula whispered. "That's why I have to do this. I don't want to end up again like I was on the day the Comet came." She looked out over the waters. "People have called me a monster all my life," she said, "but one thing that I will not be is an animal."

#############

The small Fire Nation ship left port and steamed away into the night. In a hidden cove nearby, another ship waited, also Fire Nation make- ironic that it was that nation that would develop the most advanced shipbuilding skills- but it had been many years since it had served the Fire Lord's purposes. On its deck a man lowered a spyglass and smiled.

"She is leaving," Long Feng said. "Now we must follow."

The former Grand Secretariat turned to face the line of robed men who stood on the ship's deck. The Earth King had done a remarkable job of culling his top lieutenants from the secretive organization, but there were still plenty in the lower ranks who remembered Long Feng's rule and sought a return to a time when they were more than pen-pushing administrators. Ten of these were easy to collect and bring out to the ship that the Dai Li had secreted here for whenever the need might arise.

"Gentlemen," Long Feng began, "no doubt you remember the Princess Azula and how she stole you out from under me and brought our city to ruin. Now we are setting out in pursuit of her party, and I need to make absolutely certain that none of you have- conflicting loyalties."

He already knew these men were trustworthy- he wouldn't have brought them along otherwise- but making them say it out loud would cement their loyalty.

"The princess used us and abandoned us," a man near the middle of the line said. "We swore undying loyalty to her and she spurned it. It is a stain upon the honor of the Dai Li that we ever served her. A stain which we shall remove."

"Excellent. To your stations." The Dai Li saluted their master and turned to various tasks about the ship, and soon it was sailing into the waters of the bay, heading in pursuit of Azula's vessel. Long Feng stood at the prow, contemplating his strategy for defeating the princess, when he felt a whisper of wind by his side. "Wei Ming," he said without turning. "It is a pleasure to have you aboard."

"Usually when I come to someone like that they are startled or afraid," she said. "You hardly reacted at all." It was hard to tell whether her tone was admiring or resentful.

"I learned long ago that showing your emotions to all is a road to defeat," Long Feng replied. "Let yourself be ruled by feelings and you will fail in the end. Logic and planning will always win the day."

"They failed you the day Azula stole your city."

Long Feng shook his head. "She made a skillful move, but in the end the game shall be mine. It is only a matter of time." He looked at her directly for the first time. "You did not tell me that Ty Lee is with the princess."

Wei Ming shrugged. "It seemed unimportant. What difference can one girl who cannot even bend make to the mighty Dai Li?" Though she tried to hide it, it was impossible for Long Feng to miss the scorn that dripped from her tone on the last three words.

"She is a skilled warrior who can disrupt the bending of others, even if she has none of her own. Still, she is nothing I will not be able to handle. I was merely observing that your information was incomplete."

Quick as thought Wei Ming reached into her cloak and drew out a pair of gleaming daggers and held them to Long Feng's throat. "If she proves a problem for you," she hissed, "I will deal with her."

Long Feng didn't blink. "I'm sure you will," he said. "Now leave me. I have much to plan."

Wei Ming saluted with one of her daggers. "As you wish." She sheathed her daggers and wrapped her cloak around herself, seeming to melt into the evening darkness. When Long Feng was certain she was gone, he allowed himself a wolfish smile.

"And when you have served my purposes, girl," he murmured, "I will deal with you."


	11. Chapter 10: Battle on the Waves

**Chapter 10: Battle on the Waves**

Owing to the shape of the Earth Kingdom's continent, there was no straight way from the Ba Sing Se harbor to the wild borderland where Lady Ursa was most likely to be found. The Fire Nation ship would therefore be forced to sail around the huge landmass on either the north or the south in order to reach its goal. Captain Shin decided, after giving the matter a great deal of thought, that the northern passage would be most likely be somewhat faster, and ordered his crew to steer in that direction.

After a little more than a week, the ship had left Ba Sing Se waters and passed through a narrow strait to re-enter the ocean proper. Azula took to standing on the prow, staring out over the sea at something her eyes alone could see and snarling at anyone who came close to her. Only Ty Lee seemed exempt from this, but even the bubbly acrobat knew better than to push her luck by speaking. She would simply hop up onto the railing and go through her various exercises in silence, and if Azula took any comfort from her presence she didn't show it. Still, she never tried to send Ty Lee away.

Eventually, however, the other girl's outgoing personality found a new outlet. Tempers had been running high after word of the near-showdown between Azula and Captain Shin spread (a process which took less than a day, considering the small size of the crew), and Ty Lee began to worry that some enterprising crewman might have more loyalty than sense and try to pitch the princess overboard. Such an attempt had little chance of succeeding, of course, but the last thing that Azula needed in her current state was incentive to go berserk on everyone.

Ty Lee began floating her idea for a morale-booster among some of the lower-ranking officers, and before long Captain Shin himself sought her out to get the details straight from the original source. He rolled his eyes as she explained, but finally agreed, sending the acrobat cartwheeling off to start getting things together.

That night the crew was gathered together on the deck, with a generous portion of food prepared by the ship's cook laid out for them. Ty Lee stood up in front of them and bowed dramatically, a huge smile on her face, and then began her act. The ship was a very different environment from a circus tent, of course, but from Ty Lee's perspective it just made things more enjoyable. She leapt and bounded across the ship faster than the eye could easily follow, finding balance on the most unlikely surfaces, until finally she landed in the exact spot where she had begun and bowed again. The crew's applause filled the night.

After Ty Lee sat down, members of the crew came forward. Two warriors demonstrated their skill with knives in a fierce mock duel, and another put on a firebending display with a theatricality that showed, to the acrobat's experienced eye, that he could have been a bending performer had his life taken a different path. When he was through, she looked over her shoulder and saw that even serious Captain Shin was smiling- and beyond him was Azula in her customary position by the prow, back to the festivities.

Ty Lee slipped away from the crew and joined the princess. "What is it?" Azula asked quietly.

"Come on, Azula!" Ty Lee said, "We've got food and a lot of the crew are doing entertainment. Come on over. I bet that you could do some firebending that would make that one guy's look tame."

"I've fallen a long way, Ty Lee, but I'm not lowering myself to a source of entertainment for my own soldiers," Azula said. "I still have some dignity."

Ty Lee scowled. "That doesn't mean you can't have fun."

Azula looked out over the dark waters for several minutes. "That's not all," she said. "I think we're in danger."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't explain it," Azula admitted, "but I can't shake the feeling that we're being followed."

"You're still worried about that Dai Li guy," Ty Lee guessed. "Even if he was following us, he's back in Ba Sing Se. The Earth Kingdom doesn't make very good ships, you know. I guess it's because rocks sink or something. Even though they don't actually make their ships out of rocks."

"That doesn't matter," Azula snapped. "There's something out there- I can feel it."

"If you say so," Ty Lee said, sounding unconvinced. "But if you get tired of standing there, we do have a party going on. See you there!" With that she flipped onto her hands and walked back over to the crew, managing to keep her balance the whole way. Azula watched her go, then turned back to the ocean, her eyes trying desperately to penetrate the night's shadows and discover who it was who lurked in them.

#############

The sun rode high and hot in the cloudless sky, and Captain Shang lowered his glass and gave a jagged-toothed grin. There was a Fire Nation ship out there, a small and stripped down model from the looks of it. Hardly a challenge for a crew composed of some of the most ferocious and infamous pirates in the northern waters, and if its hold contained valuables of any sort they would be well-compensated for their troubles. Even if it didn't, it would still be good practice- and either way, Shang wasn't expecting much difficulty.

"Helmsman!" he barked, "take a look to the northwest and tell me what you see."

The man who stood by the ship's wheel raised his own spyglass and took a look in the direction his captain indicated. "Looks like a Fire Navy ship, sir," he said, "all alone and ready for plucking."

"Aye," Shang said. "Shall we pay them a little visit, men?" The crew shouted in affirmative and raised their various weapons- united only in that all were sharp and possessed of a highly unpleasant appearance- in the air. The captain allowed himself a vicious grin as his ship pulled out from behind the rocks where it had hidden and set off in pursuit of its quarry.

As the crew scurried off towards their stations and prepared to board, Shang turned to the dark-skinned man who stood silently beside him. "Now then," he said, "think you can manage to hold 'em in place for our killing stroke?"

"Aye, captain," the man said, smiling and smoothing his sea-blue tunic. "When have I ever let you down?"

#############

Azula lay on the bed in her cabin, having been unable to get to sleep at all the previous night as a result of dark dreams that involved her parents, Zuko, Long Feng, and General Azun in ways that she couldn't remember, but always ended in fire and pain. She had almost made up her mind to remain in the cabin and hope to manage some rest at least when the ship came to a sudden halt with a terrible grinding noise.

The princess was on her feet in an instant, hurrying out of her door and bumping straight into Ty Lee. "What's going on?" Azula demanded. "Did we run aground?"

"No," Ty Lee said, looking bewildered. "A wall of ice just shot up out of the sea and trapped us. I was just coming to get you."

"Ice?" Azula asked. "We're still too far south for that much ice- and this is a ship full of firebenders. Why do we need to worry about ice?"

"I don't know!" Ty Lee said. "You know a lot more about fire than I do. I just know that there's a lot of ice out there that wasn't there a few minutes ago."

"Which means," Azula muttered, "that either we're experiencing the strangest weather since Agni and the Ocean spirit dueled to see whose element was stronger- or there's a master waterbender out there."

The princess knew which of those two theories was by far the more likely. Seizing Ty Lee by the wrist, she hurried up onto the deck.

Ty Lee's description of a "wall" of ice turned out to be exaggerated- there was certainly an unusually large ice flow that had wrapped itself around the front of the ship, but it would have been an easy matter for the ship's firebenders to melt it off- were it not for the fact that the ice kept replenishing itself. Captain Shin stood near the working benders, his spyglass up and staring towards the south.

"What is it, Captain?" Azula asked.

Shin lowered his spyglass, his expression grim. "There's a ship out there," he said, "that doesn't match any design I know, and isn't flying the colors of any known nation. It's heading this way."

"Pirates!" Ty Lee said. "That must be who you thought was following us, Azula. It wasn't the Dai Li at all! You know, I always wanted to meet a pirate. They sounded so exciting."

"Oh, they're exciting all right," Shin said sourly. "And on the seas, exciting is never a good thing." He turned to the crew. "Leave off that ice, men!" he shouted. "Prepare for boarders."

The pirate ship was in sight now, and Azula could make out the figures lining its rigging, shouting and waving their weapons. One man who looked almost dignified stood back- obviously the captain, though Azula's naturally suspicious mind wouldn't rule out a decoy- and beside him was a younger man in bright blue, raising and lowering his hands in time with the rising ice. "I see you, waterbender," the princess hissed.

Water and fire were natural opposites in the elemental cycle, and on a personal level Azula nursed a particular enmity for them- Katara, the Avatar's spirits-cursed girlfriend, had thwarted her on at least two major occasions, and the princess wasn't one to forgive easily. She doubted the man on the pirate ship had the same raw power- much as Azula hated to admit it, Katara was a prodigy with water every bit as much as she herself was with fire- but he was almost certainly more experienced, and had much more water at his disposal than the peasant girl ever had during their encounters. This ought to prove very interesting.

"Ty Lee," Azula hissed, "when the ship gets close enough, I want you to get over there and take that waterbender out."

The acrobat stretched. "I'm on it, Azula." She leapt lightly up onto the rail, and as the pirate ship moved to pull alongside the Fire Nation vessel, she jumped across.

A shout of surprise went up from the pirates as Ty Lee landed lightly on their rigging. She shot them all a dazzling smile and immediately began leaping and twisting in a way that would put one of the Air Nomads' winged lemurs to shame, dodging pirate weapons and making for their waterbender. Every so often one of the enemy crew would get in her way- a few quick jabs later and he would be collapsed to the deck, wondering numbly why his arms had stopped working, and Ty Lee continued on her way.

If the waterbender noticed his crewmates' fall, he gave no sign of it, continuing to pull at the ice with a dreamy expression on his face. Ty Lee landed in front of him and prepared to make her chi-blocking jabs, when he suddenly opened his eyes wide and made a slightly different motion with his hands. Water coated the pirate ship's deck, and at the waterbender's command it rose up and wrapped around Ty Lee's legs, encasing her in ice to the knees.

"Hey!" she said. "No fair!"

"Silly girl," the waterbender replied, "word of advice- never fight a waterbender at sea. It won't end well." He jumped back and gave a mighty two-handed pull, and the ice encasing the Fire Nation vessel's prow shot forward, creating a bridge between the two ships.

The pirates hurried across, but firebenders were waiting for them. Shin and his crew hadn't attacked earlier out of fear of hitting Ty Lee, but now they unleashed all their power. The ice-bridge melted and fell into the sea, and many pirates were forced back, shrieking in pain and nursing fresh burns. Still, the pirates greatly outnumbered the Fire Nation crew, and wielding grappling hooks they quickly swarmed aboard.

Azula found herself facing four of the pirates- outnumbered, but hardly outmatched. These men were good for what they were- brawlers and thugs- but they just didn't have the formal training to match against a firebender of the royal house. Several of them were forced back, glaring and cursing, and Azula smiled and let blue flame play along your hands. "That's right," she hissed, "be afraid. You haven't seen anything yet."

Suddenly her hands were pulled tightly against her sides and Azula stumbled back. A pirate had snuck up behind her and wrapped her in a steel chain. With her arms pinned she couldn't direct her bending, and the man had positioned her chains so that they didn't touch bare skin. She couldn't even heat the metal without burning her shirt off, something the proud princess had no intention of doing in present company. Azula cursed herself for a fool- confidence was well and good, but cockiness was a fatal weakness.

The ice-bridge reformed and the pirate captain came across, his waterbender by his side, dragging a now fully icebound Ty Lee. They stopped in the center of the ship's deck and faced the pirate crew, who now held Captain Shin and his firebenders as well, Shin himself sporting a nasty bruise on his forehead.

"Now then," the pirate began, "my name is Captain Shang, and I hope that we can do business in a civilized fashion. You can simply tell me what your cargo is and allow my crew to offload it, and then you can go free to the Fire Nation or wherever. Deal?"

"We don't have any cargo," Shin spat. "And we wouldn't give it to you if we did."

Captain Shang grinned unpleasantly. "Well then, we have a problem." He stalked down the line of prisoners, stopping at Azula and giving what he apparently thought was a charming smirk. "And who might this lovely young lady be?"

Azula tossed her head proudly. "I am Azula, princess of the Fire Nation, and if you order your men to unhand me now, I promise that I'll let you go- mostly intact, if I'm feeling generous."

The pirate captain laughed. "Really, girl, you're in no position to be making demands, even if you are who you say you are, which I doubt." He leaned in close. "Of course, that doesn't mean you can't be… useful to me." His expression now was an undisguised leer.

"You wish," Azula whispered, and then she drew and deep breath and expelled from her throat not air but blue flames, catching the captain straight in the face. Shang stumbled back, beating the flames off frantically until the waterbender called a small wave over the side and doused them.

Captain Shang's face was a burned mess, and he glared at Azula with murder in his eyes. "You'll want me to see to that right away, sir," the waterbender said. "Healing isn't my specialty, but it's still better than nothing."

"You're going to pay for that, girlie," the pirate captain rasped. "Ilook! Get rid of her, now."

The waterbender- Ilook, apparently- stepped forward, that dreamy grin slipping across his face. "With pleasure," he said softly, and the pirates holding Azula stepped back. Before the princess could even attempt to escape, however, Ilook pulled his hands back and a wave crashed over the side of the deck, wrapping itself around Azula and freezing her solid. The waterbending pirate's smiled widened, and he made a pushing motion. Ice, chains, and princess were sent hurtling over the edge.

Azula was trapped by the ice and weighted down by the chains. She could do nothing but curse helplessly as she struck the water and was swallowed by cold darkness. The last thing she heard as seawater closed over her head was Ty Lee's scream and Captain Shang's bitter laughter.


	12. Chapter 11: Fire and Ice

**Chapter 11: Fire and Ice**

Long Feng scowled as he lowered his spyglass. "It appears," he said to the Dai Li agent standing on the deck next to him, "that we have a problem."

"What is it, sir?" the Dai Li asked. "Has the princess's ship discovered us?"

"No," Long Feng said. "Though I am certain that Azula is aware of the possibility that she is being followed. Our difficulty now is that her ship is already under attack from another party- a group of pirates, from the look of their ship. It would appear that the princess's crew is losing rather badly."

"I'm sorry, sir," the agent said, "but I don't see the problem. Wouldn't it save us effort simply to allow the pirates to kill Azula for us?"

Long Feng scowled again. "You fail to understand why I brought us out here in the first place. Azula is leading us right to her mother, who will be our bargaining chip back into power. Having revenge against her personally is a happy side benefit, nothing more. If we allow the pirates to kill her, we lose the trail- and if we step in to aid her, we alert her to our presence."

"I see, sir," the agent said, nodding in apparent understanding. "What are your orders?"

Long Feng looked out again at the battling ships. Before he could speak, however, he felt the air rustle at his side. Turning, he saw Wei Ming standing between him and the Dai Li agent, who stared in open-mouthed shock for a moment then dropped into a combat stance, stone hands at the ready.

"At ease," the former Grand Secretariat said. "This is Wei Ming. She isn't a threat to us- she's here on my invitation." Long Feng turned to the cloaked girl. "Now then, you will explain to me what you're doing on deck in broad daylight, frightening my crew. The Dai Li are elite warriors, girl- startle one again without me there to save you, and it may well be the last thing you do."

"Oh, I'm well aware of what your agents can do, Long Feng," Wei Ming said, a bitterly ironic twist to her voice. "But that's not the point right now. I only caught the end of your conversation here- tell me what the difficulty with Azula is, now."

"You will not speak to Minister Long Feng like that-" the agent began, but Long Feng held up a hand to silence him.

"It appears that Azula's ship is under attack by pirates," he said simply.

"What?" Wei Ming snarled. Seizing the spyglass, she held it up to study the scene herself. "No! Azula is _mine_!"

"In which case I hope you have a plan for making sure of that," Long Feng said.

Wei Ming grabbed the clasp of her cloak and undid it, pulling the concealing outer garment off. Beneath it she wore a tunic and pants of the same dark, shimmering material, and between that, her chalk-white skin, violet eyes, and the perpetual shadows that clung to her, she looked even more uncanny uncloaked than concealed.

"Do not lose this," she said sharply, shoving her cloak into the startled Dai Li agent's hands. Then she leaped up onto the ship's prow and with a fluid grace dove into the sea.

"Should we stop her, sir?" the Dai Li asked.

"No," Long Feng said quietly. "Let's see what she can do."

############

She sank into the dark water, dragged downwards by the heavy chains and the will of the waterbender Ilook. Chains and ice bound her hands and feet, not permitting her the movement needed for any kind of advanced bending. It would almost be easier, part of her thought, to simply stop struggling, to let go of the pain and anger and fear that drove her and simply let the seawater end it.

But there was a core of strength inside her that would not die- that indomitable will that characterized every member of the Fire Nation royal house to a greater or lesser degree, the refusal to give up until every possible option had been exhausted. Too there was her royal pride- she knew full well that she would die someday, but it would not be here, not at the hands of a crew of common pirates and their tame waterbender.

Her chains were too tight for advanced bending- but she didn't need anything fancy now- just power. And she'd always had plenty of power to spare, fuelled by ambition and pride and the determination to be the best at whatever she put her mind to. She called on that reserve of emotion now, and the water around her hands and feet began to boil.

_I am Azula_, she thought, _daughter of Ozai and Ursa, princess of the Fire Nation and the youngest master firebender in the world. I will not die! _

############

Ty Lee's hands and feet were starting to go numb. She'd decided that she didn't like being encased in ice up to her neck very much at all shortly after the pirate waterbender had frozen her- sure, it was a novelty for a few moments, but the fact that she was bitterly cold and couldn't move really took the fun out of it. She could only imagine what Azula was feeling right now, not only iced but chained, and being dragged down to the bottom of the sea…

The Fire Nation crew was being held in the center of the deck, surrounded on all sides by pirate guards, though Captain Shin still seemed defiant. Other pirates had gone below to search the ship, sometimes coming up with food or someone's personal possessions. Ty Lee had to resist the urge to shout at one pirate who was swinging her Kyoshi Warrior sword and fan around with every indication he had no idea whatsoever how to use either. Ty Lee didn't particularly like either one of the things herself, but still, they deserved a _bit_ more respect- and that guy looked like he was going to cut himself any minute.

Captain Shang stood off to one side, Ilook the waterbender going over his ruined face with wet, faintly glowing hands. The pirate captain's burns were healing somewhat under Ilook's ministrations, though it looked like he was going to be horribly scarred for the rest of his life. Finally Shang waved the waterbender away and stepped towards his prisoners.

"We've taken enough time here, men," he said. "Load what you've got onto the ship- there's nothing of real value here."

"What about the crew?" Ilook asked. "Are we going to leave them drifting here, or would you prefer a more… permanent solution."

Shang looked down at Shin. "I'll give you firebenders a choice- come sail with me, and I'll let you go. You people make good enough fighters that I can't just pass you up. But don't think I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart- if you won't join me, then you can join that girl in the depths."

Shin stared at the pirate for several moments, then spat. "Then you choose your own fate," Shang snarled. "Ilook! Throw them overboard."

The waterbender didn't respond- he was staring out at the sea. "Ilook!" Shang repeated, "are you even listening to me?"

Now Ty Lee followed the waterbender's gaze, and she saw that the sea was boiling. The acrobat knew what was about to happen, and she braced herself. She wouldn't want to be in the position Shang and his crew were about to be in at all.

The water boiled more intensely, and then seemed to explode. A figure shot up out of the depths, wreathed in steam and shooting jets of flame from hands and feet. Ty Lee had seen Azula use those jets before, but the concentration to maintain them while chained up underwater must have been enormous. She hovered in midair for a moment and then dropped to the deck, her wet, disheveled hair and curtain of steam giving her the look of some feral spirit. Azula appeared to have managed to have worked her hands free of the chain, and it slipped to the deck and pooled around her feet.

"Azula!" Ty Lee called. "You're alive!"

"Impossible," Captain Shang breathed, but at his side Ilook smiled his dreamy smile.

"This ought to be interesting," the waterbender murmured, and something in his voice struck Ty Lee as profoundly eerie. They said that Azula was insane- the acrobat had heard stories about her rather spectacular breakdown on the day of the Comet- but there seemed to be something about this man that was perhaps less noticeable, but every bit as _wrong._ Ty Lee shivered, but this time it wasn't from the cold.

"Interesting!" Shang barked at Ilook. "Are you out of your mind! You saw how powerful she is." He turned back to look at Azula, who stood perfectly still on the deck. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

"Captain Shang," Azula said with a faint smile of her own, "it's your move."

############

Wei Ming slipped aboard the pirate vessel at the same time as Azula landed on board the Fire Nation ship amidst steam and fire. Excellent- that meant that the princess would most likely survive this- Wei Ming had no doubt that she could make quick work of the pirates given a fair fight. The brutes had still tried to steal her prey, however, and for that they were going to be punished.

She slipped quietly along the deck, coming to the entrance to the hold. A pirate stood guard there, apparently not high-ranking enough to get a first shot at any loot. He was young and bored looking, staring off at the other ship with an expression that clearly said he wanted to get in on the action. He never saw the knife that killed him.

Wei Ming opened the door quietly and passed through the crew's quarters and into the pirate ship's cargo hold. Treasure and exotic weaponry lined the walls, but the shadow-girl paid them no mind. Her attention was focused on a pair of unremarkable wooden barrels near the back. Wei Ming padded silently over to them and lifted the lid of one, sniffing the colorless goop inside. She smiled. Trust pirates to have a good supply of blasting jelly on hand.

A quick search through the supplies revealed a pair of spark stones for firestarting. Wei Ming hurried back over to the blasting jelly and dumped one of the barrels over, then stuck her hand in it and drew a thin line of it leading towards the hold door. When this was completed, she knelt by the end of her jelly-line and rubbed the spark stones together, igniting a small blaze that began to travel towards the two barrels.

Nodding to herself, satisfied that the pirate ship had only a short time to live, Wei Ming slipped away and hurried from the ship. She had no desire to be caught in the impending explosion.

############

Azula studied Captain Shang and his men, taking in the fear and anger on their faces as they clutched their weapons, torn between their fear of her and their fear of their captain. Only Ilook seemed calm, but he also showed no inclination towards immediate attack. That was fine by Azula- she would take out the ordinary pirates, and then duel the waterbender who'd nearly killed her. Her own crew seemed anxious for the battle to start- presumably sick of being held captive and waiting for a chance to overpower their guards. Ty Lee, of course, looked about as happy as a person frozen up to her neck in ice could be.

Finally one of the pirates roared a battle-cry and lunged for Azula, raising a sword that looked like it could serve equally well as a meat cleaver. The princess neatly sidestepped his charge and seized his wrist, twisting it in such a way that he was forced to drop his sword, moaning in pain. After a blow to the stomach and another to a more sensitive region, he collapsed to the deck in a heap.

"That was pathetic," Azula said. "Please tell me the rest of your men can do better, Shang. I didn't even need to use bending!"

"We took her once, and we can do it again!" the pirate captain shouted. "Come on, men- get her!"

The pirates came at Azula in a rush, but in their haste they forgot their prisoners. Captain Shin gave a tight nod to his men, and as one they leaped to their feet and attacked their captors. The battle turned into a general melee, but this time the firebenders had the element of surprise. Fire flashed across the deck, and pirates crumpled, unconscious or dead, or else dove over the side to douse flames that clung to them.

Blue fire flashed from Azula's feet and fists, striking opponent after opponent. Some of the pirates fell back, unable to continue fighting while the clothing and hair burned, but others were able to dodge or else were simply so tough that they powered on through the pain. A few more well-timed fireblasts took down some of these, and then it was hand-to-hand. Azula twisted, punched, and kicked, disarming her opponents and then sending them painfully to their knees, when someone seized her from behind. A huge pirate lifted her into the air, and pulled out a serrated dagger.

"End of the line, your highness," he snarled, when a blast of red fire struck him in the back of the head. He collapsed, screaming, and as Azula dropped to the deck she twisted to face her rescuer- Captain Shin.

"I had everything under control," she snapped.

"Of course you did," Shin replied. "I just thought you might appreciate a little help."

Azula said nothing, but turned back to the fight. Captain Shang was approaching, a drawn sword in hand.

"You may be a great bender, girl," he said, "but you can't beat me. I've been a pirate for more than thirty years, and I've yet to meet the fighter who could match me sword to sword. Give up now, and I'll kill you quickly. Fight, and I'll make it slow." A horrible smile spread across his burned face, and he brought his sword up to attack.

Azula dropped into a crouch and began pulling her hands through familiar motions, feeling the energy coursing through them. As Shang lunged at her she shot a hand out and lightning flashed. Captain Shang fell dead to the deck, still smoldering.

"You talked too long," she said. "If you'd just fought, I wouldn't have had time to charge up. Oh, well. Your loss." Azula gave the pirate's body a kick. "Could somebody pitch this overboard?"

Two of Shin's men rushed to do so, while those pirates who still fought threw down their weapons. Ilook, though, stood still with that eerie smile on his face, applauding slowly.

"I do believe you are Princess Azula," he said. "That ought to make this a challenge." His grin became wolfish and he raised his hands, seawater surging around them and forming into a pair of sharp-clawed gloves.

"We'll take him for you, princess," Captain Shin said softly. "You don't need to fight any more."

"No," Azula replied, "this is my fight." She stepped towards Ilook and the two benders began to circle each other, hands raised. Ty Lee watched the fight with a worried, anxious expression even while she was being thawed out, but Azula paid her little attention. Her entire will was focused on the waterbender before her.

"You like ice, don't you?" she said, nodding at the frozen claws. It was a weak taunt, but it was about all she knew about the man- if she could get him to talk, he might reveal a weakness.

"I do, actually," Ilook said. "It's cold and sharp and… pure." He laughed quietly. "I've heard all about you, Azula. You like to play with people's minds, discover their weaknesses and undermine their confidence. But that won't work on me. I know exactly what I am- the crazy one, the freak, the kid who practiced his waterbending by freezing small animals to death. I was kicked out of the Northern Water Tribe when old Pakku found out what I was doing with his teachings, and I've been a mercenary ever since. And guess what? _I don't care._"

"Then I'll just have to beat you the old fashioned way." Azula leaped into the air and brought her feet down as she dropped, shooting a blast of fire straight at Ilook. He dodged and extended one of his hands, the icy talons detaching and shooting at the princess like small, deadly arrows. Another burst of fire and they melted, but the water she herself had dripped onto the ship's deck shot up and wrapped around her feet, freezing her in place the same way Ty Lee had been.

"Poor little firebender," Ilook crooned. "It must get so uncomfortable having a fire burning inside you all the time. Here- let me help you cool off." He raised his hands and blew cold air from his mouth, and Azula felt herself freezing. She was still wet from her dunking in the sea, and now Ilook was turning all of that water into ice. Could he freeze her blood, too, and kill her that way? She didn't know, but she had no intention of finding out.

Azula could still move her hands, so she brought them down and ignited a pair of blazing jets. With incredible force she blasted free of the ice and shot straight towards the waterbender. Ilook's eyes widened in shock as Azula brought her feet up and slammed them straight into his chest, sending him stumbling backwards. Righting himself, he called up a whip of water from the sea, but Azula blasted it into steam almost contemptuously.

"I appear to be outmatched," Ilook grunted. "You're good, princess- I'll give you that. Maybe we can battle again someday, on a field of my choosing. For now, though, good-bye." Without looking behind him, Ilook jumped lightly off the ship. The sea rose up and caught him, and with a final mocking wave he was born away on the waves. Azula fired several fireblasts after him, but he was able to dodge quickly enough that hitting him was impossible. Sighing, she gave up and the waterbender vanished from sight.

Ty Lee, free of the ice, hurried over and wrapped Azula in an embrace. "You're alive!" she said. "I was so worried about you. And the way you took out those pirates- it was incredible!"

"I'm glad to be alive too," Azula said, extracting herself from the acrobat's embrace and going over to stand by Captain Shin, who was overseeing his crew collecting the pirates' weapons. "What are you going to do with them?" In the princess's opinion a summary execution of the whole crew would do quite nicely, but she doubted Shin would agree.

"We're locking them in the brig," he said. "Next time we put in at port, we'll hand them over to Earth Kingdom authorities."

"What about their ship? It seems a waste to leave it here."

At that moment a shadowy figure slipped across the deck of the pirate ship and out of sight over the edge. Azula's eyes widened- surely that was the same shadow-girl she'd confronted on the Capital's docks!- and then the pirate ship was rocked by a loud blast. It was forced away from the Fire Nation ship and the ice-bridge was sent spilling into the ocean, and a huge hole had been blasted in its side. Water rushed in, and the ship began to sink. Moans of despair rose from the captured crew.

Ty Lee stared open-mouthed. "Whoa," she breathed. "What could've done that?"

"Blasting jelly," Shin said with an air of professional knowledge. "The real question is- who set it off? It doesn't go up like that on its own, and I doubt the pirates were foolish enough to arm it before coming over here." Both turned to look at Azula.

"I don't know," the princess said, but as with so many things she had said during her life, it was a lie.


	13. Chapter 12: Challenges

**Chapter 12: Challenges **

The sun slid down towards the horizon, and Ursa turned towards her door, waiting for Jian Chin to come. True to schedule, the door opened, but this time the warlord himself was not present. Two of his soldiers stood there, one of them wearing an elaborately patterned cape. Ursa had seen this particular man before and knew he was one of Jian Chin's officers, but had never learned his name.

"My Lady," the officer said, "my lord Jian Chin requests your presence on the tower this evening."

"Does he," Ursa murmured. "And if I refuse?"

"Jian Chin will not be refused in this house."

"Very well." Ursa sighed and stood. "Lead me to him."

The two soldiers marched the Fire Nation noblewoman through the crumbling halls of the castle that Jian Chin's ancestors had claimed for their own. Paintings and decorations were hung haphazardly, but they could do little to conceal the fact that the fortress was old and decrepit. Compared to the grand palaces in Ba Sing Se and the Fire Nation capital it was a joke, and made its master look like a fool for believing he could conquer either.

They came out atop the fortress's tower, where Jian Chin was prone to standing and looking towards the west and the lands he dreamed of ruling. Now the warlord sat by a table that had been set with candles and a meal- hardly special compared to what Ursa had once been used to but far superior to the food she'd been eating for the past several years, and she could feel her stomach rumbling involuntarily.

"I hoped that you might enjoy getting out of your room for one night," Jian Chin said, sounding oddly hesitant. It was all Ursa could do to keep from either rolling her eyes, bursting into laughter, or sobbing hysterically- or perhaps all three at once. What was it about her that led to every power-mad tyrant she met ending up attracted to her? "Will you join me for dinner?" The warlord continued.

Ursa focused and put on the mask of cool politeness one perfected in the Fire Lord's court. "I would be honored," she said in a tone that showed she meant no such thing but would join him anyway. One of the soldiers hurried forward and pulled back a chair, and Ursa sat down in it with regal grace. Jian Chin's eyes never left her.

"Leave us," the warlord ordered his men after Ursa was seated. Both bowed to their master and departed. Though she was quite hungry, when Ursa began eating she made certain to do so with stiff formality, never meeting Jian Chin's eyes. She didn't enjoy the man's company enough to make him want this to be a regular occurrence. Across the table, Jian Chin was eating with all the grace and culture of a wild hogmonkey. Another reason not to look- Ursa didn't want to spoil her own appetite.

Finally, as the moon was beginning to rise, the warlord spoke. "You are beautiful in the moonlight, Lady Ursa."

"Save your flattery," Ursa said. "I know what you are, and I've done my best to make it clear to you that I'm not attracted to you on any level. Why do you insist on this farce?"

Jian Chin stood and began to pace. "I have a vision," he said, "of an Earth Kingdom united under a single ruler- not like it is now, with cities that do whatever they want and an Earth King who is a toothless symbol, but truly united. Then it can pool its resources and become the greatest civilization in the world, and whoever accomplished it would go down in history as one of the great heroes of all time." He turned to look directly at Ursa. "I intend to be that hero."

"And you think that by marrying Fire Lord Ozai's former wife you will get respect and glory that will help you become the greatest leader in the Earth Kingdom," Ursa finished, having heard this speech before. "But that is what I don't understand. My husband was a monster- the entire world hates him. Why do you think that associating yourself with him will do you any good?"

Jian Chin paused and adjusted his crown. "Because you can admire Ozai's achievements even while hating him. Whatever else he was, he came within inches of dominating this world- what conqueror wouldn't want to be associated with that kind of power and drive?"

"There was nothing about Ozai worth admiring," Ursa said stiffly. "And if glory's all you care about, why not simply force me?"

"Because you must come to me of your own free will," Jian Chin said. "That is what will prove that I am a leader as strong and powerful as the Fire Lord himself. And, I must admit, I admire your resistance. You are a challenge, Ursa, and all great warriors enjoy challenges." His eyes grew hard. "But if you resist me much longer, I may loose my patience." He stamped one foot on the floor, and the fortress rumbled with his power. Jian Chin was not a truly skilled bender- he lacked the discipline and patience for that- but his raw power was tremendous. It was why his people still served him, even though for the most part they hated him.

Ursa looked at the warlord briefly after the ground quieted, and then closed her eyes and breathed deeply in and out. The candles on the table flared brightly and then their flames shot into the sky, and Jian Chin stumbled back in shock. "I may not have the warrior's skills to escape from you and your men," Ursa said, "but if you try to harm me, I will fight back."

The flames died down, and Jian Chin stepped forward again. "A challenge," he repeated softly to himself. Then he called for his soldiers and ordered them to escort Ursa away.

############

Azula didn't know the name of the Earth Kingdom port where her ship had put in, and she didn't particularly care. It was exactly like any number of places along the coast of any nation- a medium-sized town that had sprung up around a natural harbor and become a nexus for all manner of travelers and merchants. They had docked here in the early evening the day after the pirate attack, and now Captain Shin and his soldiers were unloading the prisoners and handing them over to the local authorities.

"We've been after this crew for a while," the Earth Kingdom commander said. "Captain Shang and his men have been causing us a lot of trouble. I can honestly say this is the first time in my life I've been thankful to see a Fire Navy ship."

"Don't thank me, Commander," Shin said, and gestured towards Azula. "It was the princess who killed Shang and defeated his waterbender. The rest of us just helped."

"Princess?" The commander's eyes widened and he stared at Azula, seeming to realize exactly who she was. He blinked rapidly several times, and then hurried off to join his men rather faster than politeness allowed.

"Why did you do that?" Azula demanded when he was gone.

"I thought that you appreciated being known and feared?" Shin replied.

"You potentially jeopardized this mission. I'm trying to keep a low profile, Captain. People in the Earth Kingdom hate me. If it becomes common knowledge that I'm on board this ship, I doubt things would turn out well."

Shin snorted. "I have a copy of my orders back in my cabin, complete with your brother's signature. No one can threaten this ship without causing an international incident."

"That still doesn't answer why." Azula's eyes bored into the captain's. "Tell me. Now."

"Maybe I was just curious to see how he'd react." Shin paused for a moment. "Or maybe I wanted to see how _you'd_ react."

"His fear was an appropriate reaction," Azula said. "I am royalty, and was until recently his nation's enemy. He should be frightened of me."

Shin shook his head. "Must be hard, going through life _hoping_ everyone's afraid of you."

"Spare me. You're an officer- surely you've used fear to get your men to obey you at least once."

"I do my best to lead through respect, princess. My men follow me because they know I'm a competent leader and a good soldier, and that I wouldn't risk their lives needlessly." He looked at her intently. "The problem with fear is that sooner or later everybody else realizes there's more of them than there is of you, and well- that's the end of it."

"You understand nothing," Azula snapped, and she turned and stalked across the deck, heading for her cabin.

############

Later that evening, Ty Lee was lying on her back on her bed, staring up at her cabin's ceiling, when the screaming started. The acrobat sat bolt upright and listened intently. There could be no mistake- that sounded like Azula!

In an instant Ty Lee was on her feet and hurrying to the cabin next to hers. She didn't know what was going on, but she did know that she'd never heard Azula make any kind of sound like that before- whatever was happening, it wasn't good. She pulled open the door and hurried inside.

Azula was tossing and turning on her bed, her eyes tightly closed. She'd stopped screaming now, but whatever nightmare had her in its grip wouldn't let her go. She was moaning incoherently and every so often mumbled something that Ty Lee couldn't make out. The acrobat didn't know what to do. On the one hand, this wasn't exactly something she could fight, and Azula wasn't even awake to talk out her problem (nor was she likely to do so truthfully in front of another person under any circumstances). But Ty Lee was basically a kindhearted person, when push came to shove, and Azula was clearly in distress.

"Shh, shhh," Ty Lee said softly, walking towards Azula and reaching out to pat her hand softly. "It's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of."

Azula's hand twisted around and seized Ty Lee's wrist. Her eyes were open now, but they were vacant and staring- it was obvious that whatever she was seeing, it wasn't what was happening in the cabin. Before Ty Lee could react, Azula hurled her away from the bed and back against the wall before collapsing again.

"Yikes," Ty Lee muttered. "What was that for? I was just trying to help!" Azula's only response was to curl up tightly and continue making pained noises. "I guess you thought I was trying to hurt you, huh. Well, I won't try that again, but maybe if I just sit here so that if you do need help I'll be here you won't mind." Ty Lee sat down with legs crossed by the foot of Azula's bed.

"I think lots of people wonder why I stayed with you when I could have just run away and forgotten all about you," the acrobat said softly. "Everybody thinks you're cruel, and you use people, and I guess they're right. But seeing you like you are right now or like I heard you were after Zuko beat you- it's just sad, and it hurts that something like that could happen to someone. I know you don't think about things like friendship a lot, but it matters to me, if you understand what I mean." Ty Lee hung her head. "I guess I'm kind of out of practice being serious- you know I don't do it a lot. But what I'm trying to say is- I just want to help."

Ty Lee fell silent and sat there for Spirits-only-knew how long, until finally she gave a great yawn and her head fell forward into her lap.

############

When Ty Lee woke up, Azula was crouched in front of her. The acrobat started for a moment, then leapt to her feet. "Azula, you're awake!" she said happily.

"You stayed here all night?" The princess asked, her tone disbelieving. "I saw you here, but I thought it was just another hallucination."

"Well, yeah," Ty Lee admitted sheepishly. "I mean, you sounded like something was really wrong, and I couldn't do anything about it, but I guess I just couldn't leave you."

Azula studied the acrobat intently, her eyes filled with some emotion she didn't seem to understand how to show. Really, for someone so smart about other people, it was amazing how little the princess really understood about expressing emotions herself. Finally she leaned in close and said "Never speak of this to anyone again," in a tone that brooked no argument, and left the room.

Ty Lee sighed. "You're welcome," she murmured, and hurried out on deck to practice her acrobatics.


	14. Chapter 13: The Lawless Shores

**Chapter 13: The Lawless Shores**

Following the battle with the pirates, the remainder of the voyage passed without major incident. As the Fire Navy warship continued sailing around the northern edge of the Earth Kingdom, Azula spent the majority of her time practicing her firebending or standing near the prow, eyes fixed intently on the horizon. At night, her sleep remained troubled by nightmares that she couldn't remember, but that left her lying awake in a cold sweat, all possibility of rest lost.

It bothered Azula that she couldn't remember the dreams. Fear was a natural part of life, but the princess had never allowed any fear to rule her or even influence her actions apart from the fear of failure, which she had always dealt with by the simple expedient of never failing. That something could disturb her on some primeval level and not even leave a memory of itself behind was itself disquieting. Azula had trained her mind ever since she was a child to be a precise tool for analyzing and solving any problem she might face, and there was nothing someone like her found more frustrating than an unknown factor.

Still, she was able to draw some measure of comfort from Ty Lee's loyalty, even if she had come to realize it was something she didn't fully understand. The only person to whom Azula had ever felt that kind of loyalty was her father, but that was different- Father was the single strongest influence on who she had become, and he was the ruler of her nation on top of that. She'd always expected absolute loyalty from others, of course, but that was the sort of thing one took for granted- she was royalty, and fully capable of using her firebending and cunning to enforce obedience if her birthright failed. _Of course_ people were loyal to her. Mai and Ty Lee had been closer to Azula than most, true, but the principle had been the same.

When she'd gone to Kyoshi Island to retrieve the acrobat for her mission, she's expected that Ty Lee would go along wither her- after all, she always had (with one notable and humiliating exception which Azula preferred not to think about). Since then, however, Ty Lee's determination to help the princess through her troubles had proven to go beyond mere loyalty to a deposed royal. If it had been anyone else she would have expected an ulterior motive, but the notion of Ty Lee as a cunning schemer was laughable enough that even Azula's paranoid mind couldn't entertain it for long.

"It's called _friendship_, Azula," a calm voice said nearby. Azula turned her head and was not at all surprised to find her mother standing on the deck next to her. "Sometimes people are loyal to each other not because they want something or because they're afraid, but because they actually like each other."

"And what have I ever done to make people like me?" Azula asked darkly. "I was never in the business of being liked. That implies equality, and royalty have no equals. Everyone else should respect our power and fear it being turned against them. It is the natural order of things."

"Apparently Ty Lee disagrees," Ursa said. "Would you throw that away just because of your pride?"

Azula turned back to the ocean and stared into its depths. "No," she finally whispered. "During the last few weeks of the War I chased everyone who ever cared about me away, and then… you know what happened. You _are_ what happened."

"Maybe Captain Shin is right," Ursa continued. "Maybe fear _isn't_ the only reliable way to ensure loyalty. Maybe fear prevents true loyalty."

"Then where does loyalty come from?" Azula snarled. "Love? Father always said he was the only one who loved me, but then he abandoned me because he didn't want to share his glory with the one person who worked tirelessly to help him get it. In my experience love is just another way people manipulate each other. I'm better off without it, thanks."

"You only say that because you've never really learned what love is. You never let yourself. Azula, you've spent your whole life trapped in the destiny that your father set for you. Isn't it time now to think about what _you_ want from life?"

Azula snorted. "Now you're just sounding like Uncle."

"Maybe Uncle was right, too."

"Uncle may be a great firebender, but he's a silly old fool who thinks more about tea and food than about his royal birthright. He told me where to look for you, but otherwise I really don't think his so called wisdom is worth considering."

"You don't believe that," Ursa said sadly.

"How do you know what I believe?" Azula demanded. "You're not my mother. You're just a shadow from the past- you don't even exist."

"I do exist, Azula, inside you. Everything I say comes from you, remember?" Ursa gave her daughter a final sad smile and faded away, leaving Azula standing alone in the prow. Looking back towards the main deck of the ship, the princess saw Ty Lee standing there, looking at her with concerned eyes.

"Azula?" the acrobat asked. "Who were you talking to? There's no one there!"

The princess turned to face her friend. "Nothing," she said. "Just a memory."

############

After several weeks of continuous sailing, the ship finally came within sight of its destination- a rugged, thickly wooded land with mountains rising up further inland. The shores were rough and rocky, and there was nothing resembling civilization in sight. It was a land vastly different from the civilized, efficient Fire Nation, but Azula could feel an air of brooding menace that hung over the place. Out here, her royal blood would count for nothing to any outlaw or petty lord she stumbled across- only be keeping her wits and firebending at their sharpest would she survive. Though the prospect of somewhere where royalty received little respect went against every aspect of Azula's beliefs, she nonetheless felt a slight thrill as she watched the coast go by. There was little that gave the princess as much satisfaction as facing a challenge and overcoming it.

Captain Shin joined her by the rail. "Are we close to our destination now?" she asked him without preamble.

"According to the information you received from General Iroh, yes," he said. "This coast is part of the place where your uncle indicated your mother was most likely being held. According to my map, there's a port a short ways down the coast- we should be able to put in there within the next day or so."

"Excellent." Azula looked out towards the lawless coast. "I'm coming, Mother," she whispered. "Then you'll see that I'm still in control. I _know_ who I am." Shin looked at the princess quizzically, but knew better than to comment.

The next evening, the ship pulled around a rock formation that jutted out into the sea, and Azula had her first look at what passed for a port in this forsaken place. One glance was enough to confirm that while she was certain she had seen less pleasant places during her life, none were currently springing to mind. It somewhat resembled the port town where Shin had turned over the pirates to the Earth Kingdom authorities, but it was rather larger, built with no apparent sense of style or taste, and decidedly run down.

"That entire town looks like the Drill vomited slurry all over it!" Ty Lee said with a shudder as the ship moved into port. "Are you sure this is the right place, Azula?"

"I don't know if my mother is here or not," Azula replied, "but I do know that the kind of scum who live in places like this tend to know everything that happens around them, and are more than willing to give that information up, for a price. A Fire Nation noblewoman traveling alone is the kind of thing that would be noticed."

"Well, if you say so." Ty Lee stretched her arms and balanced on one foot, then the other. She wouldn't stay down for long, Azula knew. While Mai coped with the unforgiving life in a high Fire Nation noble family by shutting down almost all emotions, Ty Lee survived by always trying to find the bright spot in any situation.

As the ship pulled into the dock (no one challenged their arrival, and no officials or soldiers waited on the pier- port authority seemed nonexistent in this town), Captain Shin came to stand by Azula and Ty Lee. "I believe it would be best if I came with you both this time," he said. "These lands are dangerous, and I don't want to have to explain to your brother how I allowed you to be killed."

"Trust me, he won't care," Azula said. Shin ignored her.

"I'll bring two of my best firebenders with me," he continued. "The rest will remain here and guard the ship- if it gets stolen, we're walking back to the Fire Nation, something I don't think any of us wants."

"That's why you and your men will _all_ be staying here," Azula said. "They may have noticed us in this port, but I will most likely travel further inland before I find my mother. Fire Nation soldiers in a place where even the Earth Kingdom doesn't have any real authority? You'd stand out in a heartbeat. I can't have you jeopardizing my mission."

"My men and I are quite capable of wearing clothing other than our uniforms, princess," Shin said evenly. "Besides, if you ran into serious trouble on your own, wouldn't you firebend to get out of it? I think blue flames would be as much of a giveaway as my soldiers."

Azula's eyes narrowed. "I see it, now- you want to be with me when I find my mother, so that you can share in the honor and whatever rewards Zuzu will hand out when we get home. Well, I won't allow it! This mission is _mine_!"

"Azula, calm down!" Ty Lee said, but the princess ignored her, focusing entirely on the captain in front of her.

Shin stood very still, his eyes dark. "I have done my very best to help you in your mission, and have no desire to claim it for myself. If it would put your mind at ease I will of course remain with the ship, but I still recommend that you take two of my firebenders with you. You may, of course, feel free to disregard that advice if you so choose, princess."

Azula breathed deeply, in and out, allowing her anger to fade away. Like almost all firebenders the princess was an intensely emotional person, but she had learned long ago to channel her emotions into useful pursuits, rather than letting them dominate her. She certainly wasn't going to start letting the bizarre, unstable mood swings that had plagued her since coming out of the trance-like state she'd entered after her breakdown prevent her from practical considerations. "Very well," she finally said. "Send two of your best men with us. I can send one back to the ship for reinforcements in the unlikely event that I require more."

Shin nodded curtly. "As you say," he said, and then turned and left to select the men he would send with Azula.

############

The ship was tied up at the dock and lowered its ramp to the shore. Azula and Ty Lee stood at the top, the princess in the hooded cloak she had worn in Ba Sing Se, Ty Lee in Earth Kingdom green. Two grim-faced firebenders stood behind them, dressed as common laborers.

"Well, this is it, Azula," Ty Lee said. "We're gonna find your mom- I know it." She sniffed the air and winced. "I just wish we could've started looking somewhere that smelled a little better."

Captain Shin came forward. "Princess, Ty Lee," he said. "Good luck. Men- keep them safe."

"Aye, sir!" the firebenders saluted.

"Good-bye, everybody!" Ty Lee said loudly, waving to the ship at large. "We'll be back in a few days!"

"Come on, Ty Lee," Azula said. "Let's go." She nodded at Shin, who returned the gesture, and then the princess, the acrobat, and the two soldiers descended the gangplank and set foot on the shores of a land where no king ruled, and they hoped to find long-vanished royalty.


	15. Chapter 14: The Search

**Chapter 14: The Search**

Long Feng stood on the deck of the Dai Li's vessel as it hung at anchor near the edge of the harbor where Azula's ship had put in. They would pull all the way in and dock in the port town the next morning, by which time the princess would be too distracted by her search to notice their presence until it was too late. For now, though, stealth was key.

A Dai Li agent with a spyglass in one hand hurried over and saluted his leader. "The princess and some of her crew have gone ashore, sir," he said.

"Could you tell who specifically went with her?"

"It looked like two ordinary soldiers dressed as civilians and the girl Ty Lee, sir," the agent said. "I wasn't able to get a closer look."

"You've done well," Long Feng replied. "You're dismissed." The agent hurried off, and the former Grand Secretariat turned to the shadows behind him. "You heard?"

Wei Ming stepped out of the darkness, a knife held loosely in one hand. "How did you know I was there?" she asked.

"I guessed," Long Feng replied. "You are skilled at hiding yourself, but you do have your habits."

She stalked over to the rail and stared out intently towards the town. "I'm going ashore," she said matter-of-factly. "Azula seeks her mother, and I will follow her. I'll report back to you when I have the information you'll need- and then we can move in for the kill." As she finished speaking Wei Ming smiled viciously, her eyes distant. In spite of himself, Long Feng found himself unnerved. He'd done terrible things during his life, of course- things that would have broken a lesser man- but it had all been for a cause: maintaining the stability and culture of Ba Sing Se at any cost. But he'd never taken the kind of pleasure in them that Wei Ming seemed to experience when contemplating her revenge.

In that one aspect- enjoying the destruction of an enemy beyond all other pleasures- the shadow-girl and the Fire Princess were more alike than Long Feng imagined either would ever care to admit. And also like Azula, Wei Ming would someday prove a liability to the Dai Li- but this time he would make certain that his ally would not be a threat.

"Why do you hate Azula so much?" Long Feng asked calmly.

Wei Ming turned to face him, eyes narrowed. "What does it matter to you?"

"Curiosity. What could she have done to you that you would be willing to tack her across two continents for revenge?" That wasn't the whole truth, of course- as head of the Dai Li, Long Feng had learned quickly that information- getting the most complete picture of the facts yourself while controlling what others were allowed to know- was true power. He knew very little about Wei Ming, and asking her when her revenge was on the mind her defenses were relatively low seemed the most prudent way to learn.

"Oh, it isn't anything she did," Wei Ming said softly. "It's more the fact that she exists at all…" her voice trailed off and her eyes lost focus, as if she was reliving some terrible memory. Then her gaze snapped up again and fixed on Long Feng like violet fire. "But don't think this ends with Azula," she hissed. "There are others who have wronged me, and they will all pay in time." Then she turned and wrapped her cloak tightly about herself, merging with the shadows and disappearing. Long Feng would pay a fortune to learn how she did that.

When he was certain she was gone he raised his hand and two Dai Li came up from where they had been hiding. "What are your orders, sir?" the first of them asked.

"Go ashore," Long Feng ordered. "Follow Princess Azula and report her findings to me. If she leaves the town, inform me and I will follow a day or so behind. Do not lose her if you value your honor, your positions, and your lives. Her mother is our gateway back into power."

"What about Wei Ming, sir?" the second agent asked. "I don't mean to question you, but isn't she already doing this?"

Long Feng turned to the agent and scowled. Was the man really that dense? "Wei Ming has allowed bloodlust to affect her reasoning," he said. "I don't trust her not to simply kill Azula- or try to- on sight, and that is something I cannot permit. We'll let her have Azula after the princess has served her purpose, but that is where her own usefulness ends as well."

"If Wei Ming _does_ attempt to kill the princess before we have our information?"

"Then do what you must." Long Feng nodded to them. "Now go." Both Dai Li bowed and hurried towards the shore, removing their bulky outer robes to reveal civilian clothing beneath. Agilely they leapt from the deck to the rocky shoreline and hurried off into the night. Long Feng watched them go, and breathed the night air deeply.

"Soon," he whispered.

###########

Azula pushed the door to the seedy tavern open and stepped inside, nose wrinkling slightly at the smell that hit her. This place- this whole region- was highly unpleasant, but she'd never been some helpless fairytale princess who couldn't handle a little work to get what she wanted. She strode boldly into the ramshackle building, Ty Lee and the two soldiers following close behind.

"Azula, why are we here again?" Ty Lee asked, looking at the tavern's various patrons who seemed to be if anything less pleasant than their surroundings.

"Because this is a gathering place for lowlifes, thugs, and criminals," Azula whispered in reply. "In other words, exactly the kind of people who would have information on any strange occurrences- and be willing to sell that information. A Fire Nation noblewoman passing through a region like this? They'd notice."

"If you say so." Ty Lee sounded unconvinced. Azula ignored her and made her way to the bar, pounding on it to get the barkeep's attention.

"What'ya want?" he demanded in a rough, uncultured voice.

"Information," Azula said. "And I'm willing to pay." She reached into a pocket and withdrew two gold coins, which she slid across the bar, causing the barkeep's eyes to light up.

"Well, now," he said, "What'ya need to know?"

"Have you or anyone you know seen a Fire Nation noblewoman- gold eyes, black hair, a bit taller than me and very beautiful- pass through here in the last few years?" Azula fixed the man with her eyes, letting them bore into his face as if she were trying to read his mind. She smiled slightly as he flinched- it was pleasant to remind herself that even without the resources of royalty, she could still scare people when she needed to.

"No, I haven't," the barkeep said nervously. "But I do know someone who might be able to help you. His name's Chang- he's a mercenary, travels around a lot, and he comes in here most nights. If you wait for a little while, he should be here soon. He usually sits over there." He pointed at an empty table in the corner.

"Very well." Azula turned and walked away from the man, business concluded.

"Maybe you'd be willing to add in another gold piece for my help?" he asked from behind her.

Azula snorted. "Don't push it. You've given me nothing of value so far- I'm not known for my generosity." The princess selected a seat near Chang's table and waited, joined by Ty Lee and the soldiers.

They waited for what felt like half an hour, watching various ruffians and thugs coming and going, before finally the door opened and a weathered, middle-aged man stepped inside, walking up to the bar with an easy confidence in his step that showed that he felt completely comfortable in this rough setting. Ordering his drink, he turned and walked over to the table that the barkeep had indicated as Chang's. Azula got up and walked over to him.

"Are you Chang the mercenary?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. "You want to hire me, girl? I'll warn you- I don't work cheap."

"I'm not interested in hiring you," Azula said, resting her hands on the table. "But I am willing to pay- for information. I've heard you travel around a lot. I need to know if you've seen a Fire Nation noblewoman around here in the last few years."

"Apart from you, you mean?" Chang said with a slight smirk. "Yeah, I can tell what you are- pale skin, black hair, gold eyes. That cloak doesn't hide it if you know what to look for."

"The person I'm looking for is in early middle age, taller than me, and very beautiful," Azula said without missing a beat. She removed a few gold pieces from her pouch and began to idly toy with them. "Give me useful information and these can be yours- and I have more where they came from."

"Well now- let's see here," Chang said to himself. "I can't say I've seen anyone quite like that myself- but I do know someone who has. An old friend of mine- name of Yin Tzu- was doing a job for some warlord about a week to the south of here. Can't remember his name. Anyway, about five or six years ago, Yin Tzu and some of his buddies were hired to kidnap a woman and take her to the warlord's castle. I remember him telling me about that, because he told me later that he'd never seen eyes quite like hers before- like liquid gold." He looked at Azula straight on. "Just like yours, in fact."

Azula's gaze bored into Chang's, and though she could tell he was nervous he didn't flinch or look away. "Are you telling the truth?" she asked in a quietly dangerous voice. "Because if you're lying, I will find out about it- and then you will suffer the consequences."

Chang laughed bitterly. "Girl, you offered gold. I don't lie when there's gold involved- it's bad for business. You pay me to do something, I do it." He held out his palm. "Now then, unless there's anything else you want to know, I'll be taking my payment now."

"One more thing," Azula said. "Your friend. Where is he now? He'd better not be dead."

"No, he's still alive. He's retired now, and lives in a village about a day south of here." Chang looked from his palm to Azula and back again. "Now then, I did my part. Money."

"Here." Azula dropped a small handful of coins into the mercenary's waiting hand and left him counting them eagerly as she walked back over to her table. "I have what I need," she said to her companions. "We're leaving."

Ty Lee and the two soldiers quickly got up, the acrobat looking particularly relieved. Together they headed towards the door- only to be blocked by a pair of large and particularly thuggish looking men.

"Out of my way, scum," Azula said. "I have business elsewhere and I'm not interested in delays."

"Come on," one of them said with a broad grin that the princess found reminiscent of a hungry rhino. "Stay awhile. It's not often we get such attractive company around here." He leered at both Azula and Ty Lee.

One of the soldiers stepped forward, but Azula waved him back. "I'll handle this," she said, stepping towards the thug who'd spoken. "I'll tell you one last time," she said in a voice that made the frozen tundra of the North Pole seem warm in comparison, "get out of my way, or you'll regret it."

"I knew I'd regret a lot of things I've done," the man said, "but I did 'em anyway." He reached out a meaty paw towards the princess's arm.

Azula spun away from his grip with a speed that left the man's mouth hanging slightly open. She brought her hands up and struck him hard on the stomach, neck, and head. The man collapsed in a heap, groaning. The other man pulled up his fists and lunged at the princess, only to fall back before what looked like little more than a human-shaped blur delivering quick, precise blows. Then he was down too, paralyzed by Ty Lee's chi-blocking.

"Anyone else interested in messing with us?" Azula asked idly. The other patrons quickly pulled away, and the princess smirked. "All right, then. We'll be going." With that Azula and her companions stepped out into the night streets.

"I'm glad to be out of there!" Ty Lee said with absolute sincerity as she hurried up to stand at Azula's side. "Did you find out anything?"

"Yes." Azula kept her eyes straight ahead. "We're heading south. There's a village a short distance from here, and a man lives there who may have helped kidnap my mother. He and I are going to have words."

###########

Yin Tzu shut the door to his small house behind himself and stepped into his kitchen, pulling the vegetables he'd just bought out of his pack and slipping them into the stew he'd been preparing for most of the afternoon. That done he sighed happily and seated himself by the fire, breathing in the smell and waiting for his meal to be done. The old man had once been one of the most fearsome mercenary warriors in this spirits-forsaken part of the Earth Kingdom, but since he'd retired a few years ago he'd been finding more and more pleasure from simply sitting by his fire and resting.

A knock sounded on his door, snapping Yin Tzu from his reverie. He jumped to his feet, finding old reflexes still there and active, and turned towards the sound. "Who's there?" he demanded angrily. "I don't want to talk, so go away."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," a cold female voice said from the other side. "Open up, and I might be able to offer you some money. If you don't- well, I'd really hate to have to kick your door in." The woman's tone suggested that she'd feel no such thing.

"Fine, fine- you don't have to be so pushy!" Yin Tzu grabbed his sword from where it hung on the wall- couldn't be too careful, after all- and then hurried over and opened the door. The person who'd spoken was younger than he'd expected- not much more than a girl, really- but the look in her golden eyes and the easy confidence of her stance told him that this was not someone to trifle with. Another girl- this one looked rather friendlier- stood behind her, along with two men who dressed like commoners but carried themselves like soldiers.

"I want to ask you some questions about a job you did a few years ago," the girl in front said. Her features seemed familiar, somehow, but Yin Tzu couldn't place them. "Answer to my satisfaction, and I'll give you some gold. Displease me and you'll regret it."

"What do you need to know?" Yin Tzu asked. "I did a lot of jobs over the years."

"This wasn't too long ago," the girl said. "Just a few years ago. I talked to your friend Chang yesterday, and he said that you helped a warlord kidnap a woman with golden eyes. I need his name, and the place he had you take her."

"That would be Jian Chin," Yin Tzu said. "A real nasty piece of work- steer clear of him if you're smart, girl. Not the sharpest sword in the armory, true, but he's a powerful enough earthbender to make up for that. I took the woman to his fortress. It's on a cliff several days to the south- one of the oldest buildings I've ever seen."

"Jian Chin," the girl repeated, seeming to taste the name. Then she fixed Yin Tzu with her gaze, and he found himself trembling slightly in the face of those merciless eyes. "And did Jian Chin tell you the name of the person you were to kidnap?"

"No, he didn't, I swear!" Yin Tzu lied, but those terrible eyes remained fixed on him and he finally gave in. "Yes," he said softly. "He didn't want me to tell anyone. Her name was Ursa, and he said she was the Fire Lord's former wife. That's why he wanted her." Yin Tzu looked at the girl again, seeing the similarities between her and the noblewoman he had abducted- and then, with a cold feeling in his gut, he realized who this visitor was. Even here they'd heard stories about the girl who brought Ba Sing Se to its knees single-handedly- and he'd just admitted to kidnapping her mother. Yin Tzu prepared himself for a quick and painful death.

It didn't come. Azula simply counted out three gold coins and held them out to him. "That is for your help," she said, and then turned to go.

Suddenly she spun around and struck Yin Tzu with a flying kick that sent him stumbling back against the wall, gasping in pain. "And that was for laying hands on royalty." Then the princess did turn and leave the house, followed by her companions, without a backward glance at the stunned mercenary behind them.


	16. Chapter 15: Kingmaking

**Chapter 15: Kingmaking **

"You're certain?"

The Dai Li agent nodded. "Yes, sir. We questioned the mercenary once the princess was gone and confirmed what he told them- Jian Chin is the man who has the Lady Ursa."

"Excellent." Long Feng allowed himself a calmly satisfied smile. "And where is Azula now?"

"She and her companions rented rooms in the local inn for the night. I overheard her telling them that they were going to return to their ship tomorrow and collect more firebenders before confronting Jian Chin."

"Good. Then I should have time for a brief side-trip of my own." Long Feng held out his hand. "Did you learn the location of the warlord's fortress?"

The agent reached into his robe and removed a scroll, which he then unrolled and revealed to be a map of the region. "We took this from Yin Tzu's home, sir. Jian Chin's territory is clearly marked."

Long Feng took the map and studied it. "This should be close enough for us to reach in time- if we hurry. I believe that this warlord and I have matters to discuss."

"Sir?" one of the other Dai Li asked tentatively, "What could this… uncultured barbarian have to offer us?"

"We need Ursa, and he has her. Negotiation can prove every bit as effective as open conflict- and a man like Jian Chin might prove the solution to more than one dilemma facing us."

Mocking laughter rang from the nearby trees. "Of course, everything and everyone are nothing more than Pai Sho tiles to the great Long Feng!" With a rustle Wei Ming dropped from the branches and landed in the midst of the Dai Li. She looked around to the nearby agents and smiled. "I wonder how that makes them feel?"

"Don't get self-righteous with me," Long Feng said coolly. "You're no better. I use you to accomplish my return to power- you use me to achieve your revenge. And as long as we're both aware of that, I don't see why that can't be the basis of a working partnership."

Wei Ming shot him a fierce grin. "True enough. So it seems you're agents know their jobs- they found the same information I did."

"Yes. Azula is now preparing to return to her ship and get additional firebenders- therefore, I am dividing my forces." Long Feng looked at each of his agents in turn. "Two of you will come with me to visit Jian Chin. Two others will return to the port and scuttle the Fire Navy ship- we cannot allow Azula's forces to link up. The remaining six will follow the princess herself and prevent her from joining any survivors." He nodded at Wei Ming. "You, my dear, may of course go with any group you see fit to join."

She surprised him. "I'm coming with you," she said. "I want to meet Jian Chin myself."

Long Feng raised an eyebrow. "Really? I would have thought you would want to take Azula. She is the object of your revenge, after all."

"One object," Wei Ming hissed. "But I have plans too, Dai Li. Don't think you know all of them."

If Long Feng had anything to do with it those plans would never come to fruition, though he was wise enough to keep that thought to himself. "Very well, then," he said. "If you want to come with me I will oblige." He motioned to the two nearest Dai Li, who came to stand at his sides.

They currently stood in the forest halfway between the port-town and Yin Tzu's village, where Long Feng had come to meet with his agents after their shadowing of Azula. Now the minister and his two chosen agents centered themselves and held their hands out over the earth- and then as one jerked upwards. The ground itself rose beneath them, and soon they were standing atop what appeared to be a wave of dirt and stone.

"Climb on- otherwise you won't be able to keep up," Long Feng said rather more stiffly than normal- the earth-wave wasn't difficult per se, but it did require much of his concentration. Wei Ming scowled and slipped up behind him, seating herself cross-legged on the wave. Then the three earthbenders pushed forward and the earth carried them off to the south far faster than a person could run.

############

It was near the middle of the night when they arrived at Jian Chin's fortress. The castle, which seemed to project an air of brooding, crumbling majesty, perched atop a cliff, and at its feet was spread out a run-down town. Long Feng knew cities, and he could tell at once that this place had a different feel to it than the equally chaotic port- that was a place of lawlessness and disorder, ruled by criminals and thugs. This was simply a place of poverty and despair. Long Feng found himself disgusted by the sheer inefficiency of it. Still, it told him much about the personality of the man who ruled here- clearly Jian Chin lacked either the competence or the initiative to run a government. That particular trait fit in with Long Feng's plans rather nicely.

As they approached the outskirts of the town the minister nodded at his agents. Together they released their wave and allowed it to sink back into the earth. Long Feng looked over his shoulder. "We're here," he said.

"I know." Wei Ming was standing at his shoulder, her eyes glittering in the darkness. As usual she was slightly unnerving, but Long Feng didn't allow her the pleasure of seeing that. He simply nodded once and motioned for her and the two dai Li to follow. Together they crept into town.

All four figures were well-accustomed to stealth, and they passed between rows of dark, run-down buildings without disturbing a soul. Occasionally guards in mismatched armor would walk past, but they saw nothing but shadows. Long Feng and his Dai Li might not have Wei Ming's uncanny ability to blend in with the darkness, but they knew full well how to conceal themselves from prying eyes.

They came to the base of the cliff and Long Feng looked up towards the fortress. Going in the front gate wouldn't do at all- he needed to get inside in order to make sure that no idiot night guard would turn him away before he had a chance to see Jian Chin. Breathing deeply, he centered his stance and slammed a fist into the rock.

Long Feng prided himself on being one of the few earthbenders to master the art of reading vibrations within the earth itself. He couldn't do it at will the way the Avatar's companion Toph Bei Fong could (what a warrior _she_ would have made with Dai Li training!), but with effort he could still perceive the world through the rocks. Furrowing his brow, Long Feng concentrated and felt the echoes from his punch pass through the cliff and bring him information about the shape of the fortress above.

Then his eyes widened slightly. "Fool!" he hissed. "The fool lives in a fortress that's built atop a whole network of caverns! This whole area is unstable."

"Yes," Wei Ming said in a soft, dreamlike voice. "I can feel it too- there are places down below us that have never known the light of the sun and darkness runs deep and thick."

Long Feng felt a shiver run up his spine, but he ignored it. "It's of no importance," he said. "We're directly beneath one of the walls- we should be able to climb here. Follow me." He pressed his hands against the rock and felt the earth give beneath them, forming itself into hand-and-footholds. Using these he began to swiftly ascend, the two Dai Li agents following behind in the same manner. Wei Ming leaped lightly onto the cliff side and began to climb swiftly like a spider, without any apparent need for earthbending to help her way.

They reached the top of the cliff swiftly, and after a brief pause and stretch continued up the wall. Long Feng noted a window about halfway up and motioned for the others to follow him. One after another they leaped through and found themselves in a dark hallway.

The corridor was empty except for statues and tapestries lining the walls, arranged seemingly at random. It did not escape Long Feng's notice, though, that all of these pieces of artwork depicted scenes and figures from the Earth Kingdom's glorious history, with a disproportionate number featuring Chin the Conqueror in some form. The former Grand Secretariat noted with a wry smile that part of one tapestry had been crudely torn off just before it could depict Chin's legendary humiliation and defeat at the hands of Avatar Kyoshi.

The sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway, and Long Feng held up his hand for silence. Two bored-looking men in the same armor they'd seen in the town below came around a corner, talking to each other in low voices. They nearly walked directly into Long Feng before stopping and staring in utter shock, then hurriedly they drew their swords. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" one of them demanded.

"My name is Long Feng," the head of the Dai Li said calmly. "I'm here to see your master, Jian Chin. Could you tell me where he is?"

"What are you, an assassin or something?" the guard demanded, pointing his sword threateningly at Long Feng's throat.

"If I was an assassin I wouldn't be standing here talking to you about it," Long Feng said with a sigh. "I want to make a deal with Jian Chin that could benefit us both. Now, could you kindly point me in his direction?"

The first guard turned to the second. "You stay here, and make sure they don't leave. I'll go talk to His Lordship and see what he says." The guard hurried off, leaving his companion looking like he'd rather be anywhere else.

They stood in the corridor for some time, no one speaking, the guard looking nervously from Long Feng's steady gaze to the blank expressions of the Dai Li to Wei Ming's predatory smile. Finally the first guard returned. "His Lordship says he'll see you, Long Feng," he said. "The other three will have to wait below."

"Fair enough," Long Feng said. The guard motioned and led the Dai Li and their companion down to the ground level of the fortress and a large, open audience hall. More guards waited there, and at a nod from their leader the two agents walked over to stand with them. The first two guards led Long Feng to a door in the back of the hall and opened it. He stepped through.

This room was relatively small and decorated with weapons and hunting trophies. A burly man in gaudy clothes and a too-small crown waited there, looking at once irritated and intrigued. "They say you got in through a top-story window," he said in a rough voice. "Only an earthbender could've done that. You look a little skinny to be an earthbender, though. I bet I could break you in two without even trying."

"Jian Chin?" Long Feng asked evenly.

"You found me," the warlord said. "Now what do you want? My man said that you want to make a deal. What are you offering?"

"My name is Long Feng, formerly Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se and head of the Dai Li. You probably haven't heard of me before, but at one time I was the most powerful man in this entire Kingdom."

Jian Chin stroked his beard. "Dai Li? I've heard of them. I guess you are an earthbender then, if you're telling the truth. So what's the head of the Dai Li doing all the way out here? Lose track of your city or something? I hear that Ba Sing Se's pretty hard to miss!"

"In a matter of speaking," Long Feng replied. "I am currently looking for a way back into power, and I believe that you can help me on that front."

"Really?" Jian Chin asked. "And how exactly could I do that? And why would I?"

"I believe that you currently have a hostage in this very fortress- the Lady Ursa. If I was to return the Lady to her son the Fire Lord, I believe that the reward would be most handsome." Long Feng looked the warlord straight in the eyes. "I want her."

"No!" the other man almost shouted. "Ursa is mine! You can't have her!"

"Not even if I offered something of greater value in return?"

"Greater value?" Jian Chin demanded. "Like what?"

Long Feng allowed himself a tight smile. "The Earth Kingdom."

Jian Chin stared at the minister for several moments, then burst out laughing. "Seriously, what are you offering?"

"I am deadly serious, Jian Chin," Long Feng said. "I was the Earth King's most trusted advisor, and I know secrets of Ba Sing Se that even he could only guess. There is a series of tunnels beneath the city that lead directly into the Earth King's palace. Some of those loyal to the king know of them and have doubtless tried to block them off- but only I ever knew the entire network. Using those tunnels I could smuggle you and your men into the city and then you could seize control of the palace in less than a day. With the apparatus of government under your control, Ba Sing Se is yours- and the rest of the Earth Kingdom will swiftly follow."

"And I suppose the entire city will just role over and accept this?" Jian Chin asked.

"They will if you reinstate the Dai Li as the backbone of government. I devoted my life to maintaining order in Ba Sing Se- with the government and Dai Li once again under my control, I could have the entire city eating out of your hand in days."

The warlord nodded. "That might work, but I've got to wonder one thing- if you knew about these secret passages all along, why didn't you off the Earth King yourself a year ago?"

"Because I am a planner, Jian Chin, an administrator. I can run a government, but I have no interest or need to become its public face." Long Feng smiled again. "But if I had someone like you who could do that for me- well, you would get all the credit without having to do any of the actual work. Think of that, my friend- all the glory of the Earth King's throne is yours, and the only price you have to pay is to give up Ursa to me."

"I admit, I like the sound of that." Jian Chin's face turned concerned, and he leaned close. "But there's one more problem- the Avatar. I don't want to fight that if I can avoid it. You have an answer to that, clever man?"

"Avatar Kyoshi was the first of the Dai Li," Long Feng said. "My goals and the Avatar's are the same- balance, stability, order. I admit I miscalculated in my dealings with him in the past- I underestimated him, treating him as a child." He winced slightly and rubbed the leg that had been bitten by a several-ton sky bison a year and a half ago. "I learned my lesson on that occasion. This time, however, we will have no reason to quarrel. The current Earth King knows nothing about actually ruling a nation- your kingship and my return can only improve matters. I will make him see that the Dai Li are the backbone of Ba Sing Se, and always have been."

Jian Chin nodded. "All right." He held out a meaty paw and Long Feng took it. "We have a deal then, Dai Li. I'll give you Ursa- but only after you make me a king."

"Excellent." The warlord and the minister shook. "I believe that our alliance will be most profitable for us both."

############

Long Feng stepped out into the audience hall again and found his agents standing silently among Jian Chin's soldiers. "Come with me," he said to them, and they quickly fell into step behind him. "The warlord has agreed to give us Ursa- but first we have a final loose end to tie up. We're going to rejoin our comrades and take Azula."

"You mean _kill_ Azula," Wei Ming's cold voice said from Long Feng's side.

"I mean _take_," the leader of the Dai Li said. "I thought that you might want the honor of the actual kill."

"Oh, I'm looking forward to it," she said. They walked down the corridor in silence, and then Wei Ming spoke again. "I'm surprised by you, Long Feng. I wouldn't have thought that a cultured city man like you would be willing to make this back-country bandit Earth King."

"So I take it you were eavesdropping on our conversation?" Long Feng asked, rather unsurprised.

"Of course. I was in the room the whole time." She turned to look at him. "You didn't answer my question."

Long Feng glanced to make certain no guards were in earshot. "The Earth King is not practically relevant to the government," he said softly. "A trained hog-monkey could perform his duties. The monarchy is the embodiment of the State, its beating heart- but the Grand Secretariat is the mind, and the Dai Li are the limbs of the state. Jian Chin is a fool, and it won't be difficult to convince him that he is important when in fact he is no such thing. I think he'll make a fine king, actually, once I convince him to change his clothes and take a bath."

The minister shook his head. "And if he fails miserably, he will take the fall and all the blame- while I still have Ursa and the Fire Lord's favor. I have nothing to lose from promising him the throne."

"You are truly devious, Long Feng," Wei Ming said in a tone at once admiring and contemptuous, if such were possible. He paid her little attention. Her purpose was to kill Azula for him- after that, the Dai Li would kill her as well and keep her instability from threatening his schemes. He stood poised now to gain the favor of Fire Lord Zuko and quite possibly a position within the Fire Nation government- and, in the event that Jian Chin's kingship actually worked out, a stranglehold on the Earth Kingdom government as well.

Then the Dai Li would have accomplished through guile what Sozin and his heirs failed to do through brute force- the world would be united under ordered rule, even if it didn't know it. Long Feng couldn't think of an idea that he found more pleasant.


	17. Chapter 16: The Reckoning

**Chapter 16: The Reckoning **

Captain Shin paced back and forth on the deck of his ship, every so often shooting a dark glance towards the shore. He didn't like this place, not at all- its lack of any sort of order offended his sensibilities both as a soldier and a man of the Fire Nation, and the fact that it was a hotbed of criminals and thugs made him worry for his ship and men. He had no doubt that they could protect the ship if someone tried to steal it, but he'd certainly prefer not having to fight anyone at all. Unlike some soldiers he'd know, Shin was no lover of carnage.

He hoped that the princess would be back soon, either with news of her mother or Ursa herself in tow. Shin wasn't much fonder of Azula than he was of this wretched port, but at least she was interesting.

From the corner of his eye the captain saw movement along the docks. Hurrying over to the rail he ignited a flame in his hand and held it out, but now the shore was completely empty and still. Shin shook his head. He really needed to get some sleep- now he was seeing things. With a sigh he extinguished the fire and turned back towards his cabin.

The ship rocked suddenly, and Shin was sent sprawling. Hastily pulling himself to his feet, he saw several of his crew members hurrying out onto the deck. "Captain!" one of them shouted, hurrying over. "What's happening?"

"I'm not sure," Shin growled, "but I think I get the gist- we're under attack." The ship rocked again, and this time the captain grabbed the rail to steady himself and looked out into the night. There he saw it- a long pillar of stone, shooting up from the floor of the harbor and piercing the ship's side. He cursed loudly. He hadn't realized that there were earthbenders that powerful out here.

"Captain?" one of the men asked tentatively.

"Yes, we're under attack!" Shin snapped back at him, not intending to sound as harsh as he did but having no time for pleasantries. "Earthbenders are trying to scuttle the ship, but I can't see them."

"Your orders?"

The ship rocked again as a rocky pillar slammed into it from the other side. "We can't take many more hits like that!" Captain Shin said, feeling even as he spoke that the pillars were beginning to retract, dragging the ship to the harbor bottom. "And we can't fight back if we can't see them. Into the water, now!"

The Fire Nation crew dove off the side of their ship and into the harbor as one, even as another rocky pillar seized hold of its side to drag the vessel to a watery grave. Shin had never lost a vessel under his command before, and as he broke the surface, he vowed that whoever did this was going to pay.

############

Twilight was falling as Azula and her companions came back into the outskirts of the ramshackle port town. The princess looked exactly as she had ever since they'd arrived in this part of the Earth Kingdom- focused and intent, aware of her surroundings but focusing primarily on her larger goal. It was how Ty Lee remembered her acting just before an important test- or even a game- at school, or during their pursuit of Zuko and the Avatar during the War. On one hand it was a good sign, because while she was focused like this Azula's strange outbursts and conversations with thin air seemed to stop completely. On the other hand, the acrobat wasn't so certain that her friend's return to her previous behaviors was best for her in the long run.

Azula needed help- Ty Lee knew that better than anyone. She needed help to get over her breakdown and help learning how to relate to people now that she wasn't the favored child of the most powerful man in the world anymore. The problem was that Ty Lee didn't have any real idea about _how_ to help her. The acrobat had always gotten over her own problems by always looking on the bright side of things and taking whatever life threw at her with happiness and a smile, but somehow that didn't seem like something Azula would take well to.

Ty Lee wrinkled her nose slightly as they passed deeper into town- seriously, what was it that smelled so bad around here?- but Azula seemed to ignore the scent, her eyes fixed straight ahead of her. The acrobat hurried up from where she'd been walking by the two soldiers and put a hand on the princess's shoulder. "It's gonna be all right, Azula," she said. "We'll find your mom- I know it."

Azula pulled away. "I know," she said softly. "You don't need to reassure me, Ty Lee. I know what I'm doing, and I don't need you to coddle me like a child."

"I wasn't trying to coddle you," Ty Lee said, rather indignant. "I just wanted to help."

"I don't need that kind of help," Azula snapped. She pulled away from the acrobat and strode forward more quickly, forcing Ty Lee and the soldiers to hurry to keep up. The she stopped suddenly, eyes widening and head cocked as though listening.

"There's something here," she whispered. "Someone's following us."

"If you'll forgive me, princess," one of the soldiers said, "in a place like this, I'd be very surprised if someone _wasn't_ following us."

"This is different," Azula said. "This town was teeming with life before- even though it wasn't particularly civilized. Now it's gone quiet." She raised her hands and began to circle around, looking for threats and preparing the firebending to deal with them as they approached.

Ty Lee saw the shadowy figure perched on a nearby rooftop first, but before she could shout a warning it struck. Its hands shot out and what looked like a pair of stone hands came flying straight at Azula. Her own hands shot up and blasted the strange projectile out of the sky with a burst of vivid flame- but at that precise moment, a second pair took her from the other side. Azula was sent stumbling backwards, her wrists bound tightly together by stone cuffs.

Ty Lee recognized the strange weapon, and Azula did too. "Dai Li," the princess snarled into the night sky. "Show yourselves, cowards!"

Two men in plain green-brown robes leapt from the rooftops and landed on the street. They weren't wearing their official uniforms or distinctive wide-brimmed hats, but Ty Lee recognized the cold eyes and casual confidence of the Dai Li agents anyway. She felt her body tense and clenched her fists tightly, preparing herself to block the earthbenders' chi if they tried to attack. "I guess you were right about that guy in Ba Sing Se!" she shouted to Azula.

"Of course I was," the princess said angrily. She fixed the two agents with her hawk's gaze. "Traitors. I led you to conquer all of Ba Sing Se, and this is how you repay me!"

"You betrayed us, _Princess_," one of the agents said coldly. "We served you loyally and you abandoned us. It's time you learned that even for royalty, betrayal has consequences."

"Oh, there will be consequences!" Azula jumped backwards and kicked one of her legs out in an arc, sending a wide arc of blue fire streaking towards the Dai Li. Both agents leaped into the air and avoided the blast, but almost before they'd touched ground, Ty Lee was on them. A series of quick jabs to the right places and one of the earthbenders was down, unable to move anything that could be used for bending.

Quickly the acrobat turned to the other man, but before she could even move towards taking him down she felt something catch her legs from behind and pull her to the ground. Looking over her shoulders she saw that her ankles had been bound together by another pair of stone cuffs. Rolling over, Ty Lee looked up at the sky in time to see that four more Dai Li agents were descending from the rooftops.

"Did you think we would be foolish enough to reveal our full strength just because you called to us?" the first agent asked Azula. The princess snarled wordlessly and prepared to launch another firebending attack, but before she could complete the motions two more agents fired their stone hands. The rocky weapons wrapped themselves tightly around Azula's mouth and ankles, bringing her crashing to the ground. She gazed up at her opponents with venom in her gaze.

Behind the Dai Li, the two soldiers dropped into fighting stances and launched fireblasts of their own. The agents dodged easily and then as one called on their own bending. The street buckled beneath them and the ground opened up beneath the warriors, swallowing them to their waists.

"Good work, men," the first Dai Li said. "We need to take the princess back to Long Feng immediately. You two finish these, and then catch up with us." He and two other agents went over to stand by the prone Azula, and then as one they bent down and seemed to pull at the earth. It rose in a wave and bore them swiftly off towards the edge of town.

The two remaining Dai Li and their fallen comrade remained behind. "Well, then," one of them said, "let's get this over with." The other nodded and they both moved to stand by the captive soldiers. The men tried to firebend at them, but from their trapped position it did little good. Ty Lee realized what they were about to do and looked away, but she could still here the crunch and the screams cut short. She hadn't known either man well, but she found any death upsetting- especially one as brutal as that.

A shadow fell over her, and Ty Lee saw the two agents standing over her. They both raised their hands, and she could feel the earth begin to tighten around her. She tried to move, but with her legs bound by heavy stone it did little good. The acrobat closed her eyes tightly and waited for the pain.

It didn't come. Instead she heard the Dai Li yelping in surprise and pain of their own, and when she opened her eyes again she saw why. Captain Shin and several of his men stood further down the street, looking strangely wet but shooting fireblasts at the agents. Both turned to flee, but one of them caught his boot on a loose stone and stumbled slightly. He'd righted himself momentarily, but that brief moment was enough for Shin's men to catch up to him and seize his arms. The captain himself knelt by Ty Lee and formed a small dagger of fire in one hand, using it to burn away the stone binding her. As soon as it was gone the acrobat leapt to her feet, and Shin went over to his two dead firebenders.

The captain looked at their remains for several moments, then looked up at the captive Dai Li with fire in his eyes. "You aren't a common criminal," he said. "You will tell me who sent you- I will know who was responsible for this. I cannot allow these deaths to go unavenged."

"You're a fool if you think I'll talk, firebender," the Dai Li said defiantly.

"He doesn't need to," Ty Lee said. "I know who he is- he's a Dai Li agent. Six of them ambushed us, and they have Azula!"

Shin grabbed the agent by the shoulder and slammed him against the wall of a nearby building. "Tell me where they took her," he snarled.

The Dai Li were brave, not stupid. The agent recognized the danger in Captain Shin's tone, and knew better than to cross it. "All right," he said softly. "I'll tell you, if you'll let me go."

"Let's here what you have to say, first," Shin said. "Talk."

############

Azula felt herself being hurled roughly to the earth. She twisted around and looked up- she lay on the ground in what appeared to be the forest around the port, several more Dai Li besides the ones who'd captured her standing in a semi-circle, and just in front of her was a man she recognized. He'd been balding when they'd last met and was now completely hairless apart from his mustache, but she still recognized those bland features and cold, calculating eyes. Long Feng, head of the Dai Li.

"Forgive me the indignity of your current position, Princess," the minister said in his usual calm, coolly polite tone. "But I cannot allow your hands, feet, or even mouth freedom to move. Personally I have great respect for your firebending talents and have no desire to be on the receiving end of them. Unfortunately, however, you are now an obstacle, and obstacles must be removed."

Azula glared up at him, and though she couldn't speak her expression said volumes. _If you want me dead, why not kill me now?_ Long Feng wasn't one to drag out a prisoner's suffering for his own enjoyment, after all.

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you," Long Feng said with an amused chuckle. "She is." He motioned to the shadows behind him and a figure emerged from them. Azula's eyes widened as she took it in- the dark cloak surrounded by writhing shadows, the chalk-white skin and strange violet eyes. It was the shadow-girl who she'd seen on the docks on the Fire Nation, and on Captain Shang's pirate ship as it went down.

"This is Wei Ming," Long Feng said. "She hates you with a passion, though I haven't yet figured why."

The shadow-girl- Wei Ming- knelt in front of Azula and lowered her hood with one hand, while the other reached into the fold of her cloak and withdrew a long-bladed knife. "Oh, I have _longed_ for this," she said quietly, a half-mad gleam in her eyes. "Remove the gag," she said to the nearest Dai Li. "I want to hear her screams."

The agent looked at Long Feng and back at the girl. "I don't think that would be wise-" he began, but Wei Ming whirled on him.

"Do it now!" she shrieked. "Or would you like to join her in death?"

"I will not be threatened in that manner!" the Dai Li snapped and raised his hands to earthbend, but Long Feng stepped between them. He leaned over to his subordinate and muttered something that sounded like "humor her" into his ear. The agent nodded reluctantly and clenched one hand into a fist. The gag crumbled to dust in an instant.

Azula took a moment to spit out the sand in her mouth and then without pausing to speak she opened her mouth wide and breathed a stream of blue fire straight at Wei Ming. The shadow's violet eyes widened and she quickly brought up a hand, catching the firebending and deflecting it as she had with the lightning in the Capital, dispersing it harmlessly in the air around her.

"What are you?" Azula demanded.

"Death," Wei Ming replied. "Your death. But not a fast death, though you will soon beg for that." She knelt down in front of the princess and drew out her knife again. "No, you're going to suffer first. All your life you've grown fat on the pain of others- now it's your turn to be the one on the receiving end." Her lips twitched into a half-smile.

Azula turned her head and looked at Long Feng. "She's crazy- you know that. You don't seriously think she isn't going to turn on you, do you? Let me out, and we can take her down together."

"At the moment, you are the greater threat, princess," Long Feng said coldly. His gaze shifted to Wei Ming. "Do it quickly, girl. We don't have all night."

"I've waited more than a year for this moment, old man," Wei Ming snarled savagely. "I'm going to enjoy it." She turned back to Azula. "They say princesses are supposed to be vain. Let's see if that's true." She raised her knife and set the point against Azula's cheek.

"Do it!" Long Feng snapped.

"Don't rush me!" Wei Ming replied. Then the shadow-girl paused, and looked up into the trees around them. Her strange eyes widened in surprise, and then the fireballs struck.

The Dai Li and their companions all dodged in time, but they looked shaken. Wei Ming leaped to her feet and drew her other knife with her other hand, and Azula used that opportunity to raise her head. Captain Shin stood just beyond the circle of Dai Li, hands raised for another fireblast. His men stood behind him. Only one person was missing- Ty Lee.

And then the acrobat was their, dropping down lightly out of the trees and shooting straight towards Wei Ming. Ty Lee's fists came up and delivered her blinding fast chi-blocking jabs, but the shadow responded equally quickly, parrying each blow before it could strike a key point.

"Wow," Ty Lee breathed. "You're good- even better than Suki. Did the Dai Li teach you to that?"

Wei Ming didn't reply, but her lips pulled back in a snarl. Quick as the shadow she resembled she lunged at the acrobat, and again their blows went back and forth at a blinding speed which even Azula was barely able to follow. Finally Wei Ming pulled back and leaped into the trees. Ty Lee hurried over to Azula's side, and Shin and his firebenders moved to engage the Dai Li.

"Azula, are you okay?" Ty Lee asked in a worried voice.

"I'm fine. Get Wei Ming- the shadow. She's the most dangerous person here."

"What about you?"

Azula looked around. Good- the Dai Li were all busy fighting, and none of them seemed able to concentrate on her bindings. She inhaled sharply and focused her will, and then fire shot with incredible force from her hands and feet. The stone bindings shattered, and she leaped into a fighting stance. Her eyes scanned the battlefield until she caught sight of the figure slipping away into the trees. Her eyes narrowed. "Long Feng is mine," she hissed. Ty Lee nodded once, and leaped away in pursuit of Wei Ming. Azula gave a fierce grin and hurried after her own target.

############

The shadows were thick among the trees as Ty Lee leapt from branch to branch. She knew that the girl with the knives- Wei Ming- had gone this way, but she couldn't see her. Her dark cloak blended in perfectly with the night. Ty Lee considered herself very lucky that she hadn't gotten cut during their brief fight on the ground- those knives the other girl had were fighting knives, not throwing ones like Mai used, and they were very long and wickedly sharp. Ty Lee knew she needed to get them away from Wei Ming at all costs.

Mocking laughter echoed from nearby. "Silly girl," a cold voice said. "You think you can beat me here? The darkness is my ally- you're good, but even you can't beat someone you can't find."

Ty Lee turned towards the sound of Wei Ming's voice, but before she could react something struck her side and knocked her out of the tree. Twisting quickly in midair, Ty Lee grabbed another branch and pulled herself onto it, and looked up above her. Wei Ming crouched on the branch from which she'd fallen, a grin on her face that put the acrobat in mind of the giant eel that lived in the waters around Kyoshi Island- the Unagi.

Ty Lee had always been able to see things that other people couldn't- patterns of energy hovering around herself and others, giving clues about their moods and revealing weak-points that her chi-blocking exploited. What she saw when she looked at Wei Ming was like nothing she'd ever seen before- a shifting cloud of blackness that seemed almost alive. There was something else here besides the strange girl, Ty Lee realized, something very powerful and very evil. She was shook to her core. And then there was the look in her eyes- hate, pure and unrelenting. Ty Lee had heard people say that Mai hated the world, but she knew that really Mai just found the world dull and uninteresting. But Wei Ming really _did_ hate it with a passion that was truly horrifying.

"What are you looking at, silly girl?" the shadow asked. "Why are you staring at me with that look in your eyes?"

"Because you scare me," Ty Lee answered truthfully.

"I scare you?" Wei Ming laughed lightly and dropped down so that she and Ty Lee were perched on the same branch. "You follow Azula around like a little lost turtleduck and _I_ scare you? Apparently you need to pay more attention to your own life. Why do you follow her, anyway? It's obvious she doesn't care about you."

"I don't know if she cares or not," Ty Lee said angrily, "but I think she does. She just doesn't know how to show it. She was raised to think she was better than everybody else, and then had all that come crashing down. She doesn't know how to treat people as equals yet."

"And you think she can learn? Fool. Princess Azula was born a monster, and she will die a monster. It's in her blood- she can't help it. That's why I'm going to rid this world of her and all her kind. You'll thank me for it someday."

"Well, whether Azula cares or not, I care," Ty Lee said. "And maybe if I show her that enough, it'll help her change and be a better person. She's already better than she was a year ago."

"Really?" Wei Ming laughed again, long and cold, and Ty Lee felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. "You still think that, even after she recruited you for this mission for the sole purpose of fighting me?"

Ty Lee went still. "What?"

"Oh, she knew about me from the start. We met in the Capital, you know, a few days after I killed her father. Don't say she didn't tell you? She knows that I can defeat her bending, so she went looking for the one person she knew who could do something similar- you. She doesn't care about you at all. Azula is just using you, like she's always done, and when you've served your purpose you'll be cast aside again."

"No," Ty Lee said. "I don't believe you! You're lying!"

"Am I? Azula is the liar, just as she's always been. Everything I say is the truth." Wei Ming stepped closer, maintaining her balance on the limb with ease. "We've both been wronged, but I can offer you a way out. Come with me, and we can punish Azula together, and then you'll never have to worry about being used again. Think of it- after all your life, you'll finally be free."

"No," Ty Lee said, drawing herself up. Though it wasn't really her style, she thought of Azula and Suki and tried to hold herself with something of their easy, deadly dignity. "I don't believe you, and I won't go with you. You just want to hurt people, and I've had enough of that."

"Fool! Then you will die as well." Wei Ming drew her twin knives and lunged forward. Trapped on the limb, Ty Lee was unable to dodge very much, and she felt the knife blade graze her arm, drawing blood. But she hadn't really intended to dodge anyway. In her anger, Wei Ming had left herself open to attack, and even as hot pain lanced up Ty Lee's arm she struck two of the other girl's pressure points in quick succession. Wei Ming's arm went limp, and the knife spun from her loose grip into the night. She looked up at Ty Lee with venom in her gaze, and called her a name one didn't normally hear in polite society.

"Really!" Ty Lee said. "That wasn't very nice. I was just defending myself!"

"Your time will come, you little freak," Wei Ming snarled. "But not tonight." She launched herself from the branch and vanished into the shadows.

Ty Lee watched her go, and then leaped into the branches of a nearby tree. She had to get back to the main battle. Whatever else she was, Azula was her friend, and she needed her help.

############

Fireblasts met flying boulders in the air around Azula as she dodged past trees and Dai Li agents, following Long Feng's trail. He was fit for a man in middle age, but she knew it had been awhile since he'd done any serious field work, and she had no doubt she could catch him.

Finally she saw the moonlight reflecting off the back of that bald head, and she smiled. Bringing up one hand, the princess focused her energy and launched a bolt of searing blue fire at her enemy. Long Feng heard it coming just in time and spun around, a wall of earth rising to catch the blast. It splintered, but the fire was too weakened afterwards to hurt him.

"Long Feng," Azula said as she approached. "I should have killed you when I had you helpless in Ba Sing Se. I thought you'd be useful and were broken, but it looks like you weren't. Oh, well- I can fix that mistake now."

"We will see." Long Feng dropped into a firm stance and threw a punch forward- too far to hit Azula, but the princess was not his target. A fissure opened in the earth and shot towards her, but she could both see and feel it coming and leaped into the air. She landed lightly to one side, safe.

"You Dai Li need to learn your strengths," Azula said. "You're the best in the world at ambushes and sneak attacks, but in face-to-face battle, you're just average." Her eyes hardened. "And against me, average just won't cut it."

"Don't gloat yet, Azula," Long Feng said. "Even you can't see the future of this battle."

"No. But I can figure it out well enough." She launched another bolt of fire, and Long Feng pulled another stone shield up from the earth to block it. Then he raised his hands and sent what was left of the shield shooting towards the princess. Azula jumped on top of it and then off it, hurling herself feet first at the head of the Dai Li. Long Feng caught her foot in one hand, but she still impacted with enough force to drive him to his knees. Azula pulled back and began to move her hands through a complicated pattern, forming focused blue sparks that then erupted from her fingers as lightning. Long Feng quickly dodged, but he hadn't been the target. The tree behind him fell, bursting into flames and igniting the forest nearby.

"Fool!" he snapped. "You'll kill us both!"

"No I won't," Azula said. "I can protect myself from fire. Can you?"

"I don't need to," Long Feng replied smoothly. He held his hands out over the earth, and stone pulled itself free from the ground and wrapped around his body, giving him the appearance of some crude statue come to life. Eyes narrowed, the minister shot forward across the ground and caught Azula's throat in one hand, pinning her up against a tree. He began to squeeze.

"Aren't you going to gloat?" Azula gasped. "Tell me how you've triumphed and how feeble I am before I expire?"

"No," Long Feng said. "I'll just tell you what you told me a year ago- you weren't ever a player. Not in this game."

"You could have at least come up with your own line," Azula gasped out. "But it doesn't matter, because you still didn't notice me doing this!" One hand came up, trailing sparks behind it- weaker than she would have liked, but still strong enough- and hit Long Feng's armor right over the heart. The lightning bolt exploded, sending the Dai Li hurtling backwards, his armor shattered. Slowly he got to his feet, still smoldering. Azula dropped to the ground across from him, massaging her throat.

"Clever," Long Feng said. "But this isn't over yet."

"Oh, it is," Azula said. "Look at you- you can barely stand. Give up now, and I might just let you slink back to whatever hole you've been hiding in."

"No you wouldn't," Long Feng said with a dark half-smile.

"You're right." Azula shrugged. "But this ends now." She once again began to move her hands through the pattern to summon lightning, and Long Feng braced himself to resist.

Then something leaped down from the nearby trees and pulled itself into a standing position. Both Azula and Long Feng paused to look at it, but what was relief to one was horror to the other. Ty Lee had triumphed over Wei Ming, it seemed.

"Still like your odds?" Azula asked as her friend prepared to spring.

"To win?" Long Feng asked. "No. To escape? Most definitely." He held both hands down to the earth at his feet, and it opened beneath him. The former Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se fell into the makeshift tunnel and vanished, the earth closing behind him.

"Is it over?" Ty Lee asked in a quiet voice.

"No," Azula said, allowing just a hint of exhaustion to show. "But we won this round. Now then, let's find Shin and his crew. I need to know how many of my men are still standing."


	18. Chapter 17: Shadow's Vengeance

**Chapter 17- Shadow's Vengeance**

The stillness of the forest clearing was broken as the earth began to roll and crack. Finally it burst open, and from the opening arose the form of a man who seemed rather worse for the wear, both from his underground detour and recent battle. Long Feng scowled as he shook dust off himself, then brought his hands together with all the force he could muster, causing the fissure from which he'd emerged to seal itself.

Using earthbending to propel himself underground was hardly the head of the Dai Li's favorite way to travel, but it did have its advantages- namely, that it was nearly impossible to track unless one was an earthbender skilled enough to read vibrations in stone. For all her intellect and deadly skill, not even Princess Azula could force firebending to reveal his location. Turning away from the clearing, he began to stalk off into the forest night.

The situation was bad, but not unsalvageable. Long Feng didn't know what had happened to his Dai Li agents, but much as it pained him to admit it Azula had been right about one thing- for all their skill, the Dai Li would be no match for trained soldiers in direct combat, particularly once the princess and her friend joined in. The best course of action now would be to return to Jian Chin and warn the man that Azula was coming and planning to rescue her mother. The warlord's men might not be as good as the Dai Li, but there were a lot more of them. Weight of numbers was, in Long Feng's opinion, a crude and inelegant strategy, but it could be effective. Of course Azula would kill many before she was taken down, and that would make putting Jian Chin on the throne more difficult, but so long as the warlord and Ursa both survived, his plans could proceed.

Something rustled in the tree above him. Long Feng paused and listened, and then, to his utter lack of surprise, a shadow-wrapped figure jumped down in front of him.

"You," the minister said in a tone that dripped venom. "This is your fault, girl- all of it. If you'd just killed Azula cleanly we could have been on our way before the soldiers and Ty Lee ever found us. But you had to stop and play with your dinner, and you've cost me dearly. Do you have any idea how long it takes to train ten Dai Li agents?"

"Do I look like someone who cares?" Wei Ming asked. Long Feng noticed that she was holding one of her arms strangely, like she was having a hard time moving it. Apparently the shadow hadn't come out of tonight unscathed either. "If your men had killed the soldiers properly they couldn't have found us. Don't blame me for your own mistakes."

"As you wish," Long Feng said. "From here on I will have no reason to. Consider this alliance terminated. Now get out of my way."

"I'm afraid I can't just let you walk away from me, Grand Secretariat," Wei Ming said, and with her functioning hand she drew one of her long knives. "You see, you still have something I want."

"What?"

She smiled her feral smile. "You. Did you think my revenge was only against Azula? This world is a breeding ground of treachery and evil, and there are so many out there who deserve punishment. I'd hoped that you and Azula would finish each other off, but it seems that won't be happening. So I'll have to kill you myself."

Long Feng backed up slowly, making sure that he was centered above the earth and could draw on its power. "Well then," he said in an effort to stall Wei Ming for at least a few more moments, "if you're going to kill me, it doesn't matter what I learn about you, and I feel like you owe me an explanation. How do you know me?"

"I suppose I have changed a bit since we last met," Wei Ming said. "But I'm sure you remember this." She pulled back her hood and smiled a vacant smile. "Hello. I'm Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se." She took a step forwards, and her smile became feral and mad again. "We're so lucky to have our walls to create order."

Long Feng was stunned. The Dai Li had used brainwashed young women- code-named "Joo Dee"- to spy on and subtly manipulate important visitors to Ba Sing Se in the guise of tour guides for years, but the idea that one of them might come back for revenge was absurd. The conditioning broke the mind completely, so that the Joo Dees were good for nothing but following orders. "I don't believe you," he said. "You're just trying to unsettle me. What do you really want?"

"What do I want?" Wei Ming shrieked, her violet eyes almost seeming to bulge out of her skull. "I want my home, and my family, and my life back. But I can't have that, can I? You and the Fire Nation and all the other monsters stole them all away from me. But I will have the next best thing- pain for pain. This whole corrupt world will know my suffering before I am through."

"Even so, your revenge will have to wait," Long Feng told her. "You need me, remember? Oh, you might not think I can guess what you're trying to do, but I can. You want Jian Chin on the throne of the Earth Kingdom- that's why you eavesdropped on our conversation, and why you asked so many questions about it later on. I don't know what you want with the brute and I don't particularly care, but if you do want to see him made king, then you need me. I'm the only one who can get him into Ba Sing Se in secret, remember?"

"No," Wei Ming said. "I spent months in your tunnels after the war, mapping out the ways. I can get Jian Chin and his soldiers into the palace on my own, but there will be no Dai Li to help him maintain order. It will be chaos and death, and the proud city that did nothing to help the people of the Earth Kingdom will learn what war really means. And if the Avatar tries to stop it, I'll kill him. He'll never see me coming!" She gave a short laugh that sent chills up Long Feng's spine. Whatever her history, the girl was crazier than he'd thought.

Then her eyes fixed on him, cold and hard again. "I needed someone powerful to bring down all the monsters of this world. I thought to use Ozai, but he'd already given up, so I killed him. Then I came to you, but you disappointed me too. You're too cold-blooded, Long Feng. You just want to maintain everything like a well-oiled machine, but you don't care about revenge. Jian Chin, though- he dreams of glory, and he's too short-sighted to realize the consequences of his actions until it is too late. Have I said enough for you, Dai Li?"

"Oh yes," Long Feng said. "You certainly have." The head of the Dai Li leapt back and pulled, and the earth beneath Wei Ming's feet erupted. Ducking away from the pillar of sharp stone that now shot skywards, Long Feng threw both hands forward and chunks of fallen rock lifted into the air and shot towards the shadow. If she wasn't impaled on the pillar, the projectiles would finish her.

But she wasn't there. Wei Ming had dodged just to the side when the ground burst open, and now before Long Feng's shocked eyes she leaped down the side, dodging the flying bits of rock with ease. Her feet took the minister in the chest, knocking him backwards and breaking his stance. He crashed back against a tree and Wei Ming raised her long knife. "Any last words?" she asked softly.

It was his last weapon, one that he wasn't even sure would work, but if the girl was telling the truth it would stop her in her tracks. "Joo Dee," he whispered, "the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai."

Wei Ming snarled, and then struck him against the side of the head with the hilt of her knife. Long Feng crumpled, pain lancing through his skull. He looked up to see her standing over him. "Foolish man," she said. "You know nothing. I defeated your conditioning long ago. You never had a chance."

"Cunning, powerful, mad," Long Feng managed to gasp out through the pain. "You and Azula. Very much alike."

It wasn't entirely accurate, and Long Feng knew it. Still, the expression of pure shock and rage on Wei Ming's face as she brought the knife home was almost enough to make him smile.

############

The girl who called herself Wei Ming pulled the knife away and watched as Long Feng's body stilled. One of her enemies was dead, and she had expected to feel pleasure, but she didn't. Instead, his final words echoed through her mind. Was she really like Azula? True, she had lied and cheated and killed her way across two continents, but her goal wasn't power. She wasn't exploiting others for her own gain, but righting a great wrong. Wasn't she?

_Banish your dark thoughts,_ a cold voice said in the back of her mind. She heard it sometimes when she was lost or troubled, and it always put her back on the right path. _Long Feng was a monster- he deserved to die, and you should pay no attention to his final mutterings. This world is full of those like him, but we will show them all the pain they've caused. We will force _them_ to experience it._

"Yes," Wei Ming murmured. "The cruel Fire Nation, arrogant Ba Sing Se, the Avatar who did nothing for a hundred years while the world burned- they will all pay."

_They will. Remember what happened to you, and your parents? Will you let that go unavenged?_

"I will not." Wei Ming closed her eyes and leaned against the tree, letting memory wash over her.

She was born in a small village in the Earth Kingdom, the daughter of two farmers. Wei Ming hadn't been her name then, and vengeance wasn't yet the purpose of her life. Her people knew about the great War that ravaged parts of the Earth Kingdom, but they paid it little mind. They were far out of the way, after all, and produced nothing important, so why would the Fire Nation bother them?

They had been proven horribly wrong. She still remembered the night when the soldiers came, riding their terrible beasts and throwing fire at their victims. She never learned why they were there or what they wanted. Maybe they wanted food or prisoners, but all the girl knew was that they killed.

She and her father had been to the market in a nearby, larger village and were just returning home when the soldiers struck. She remembered seeing their house go up in flames and running towards it, shouting for her mother. She could hear her mother's screams from inside, but she stumbled out horribly burned to die in her daughter's arms.

After pillaging the village the Fire Nation soldiers departed, and the few survivors gathered together to determine their course of action. It was clear to everyone that they'd been naïve fools- the villages were not safe from the Fire Nation. If they wanted to truly be free, they needed to travel to Ba Sing Se.

She didn't remember how long the traveled, but it felt like weeks. Finally they arrived and were escorted into the city, and a man in strange green robes assigned them to living in what he called the Outer Ring, a place of tall, rickety houses and narrow streets. It soon became apparent to both the girl and her father that Ba Sing Se was not a paradise but a prison. The green-robed men- the Dai Li- controlled everything, and there was nothing they wouldn't stoop to in the name of absolute order. Her father was furious at this tyranny in the very heart of the Earth Kingdom, and he tried to gather more refugees together to resist them.

The Dai Li came for him in the night, and when the realized that his daughter had heard them they took her too. The two of them were bundled up in a cart and carried swiftly away to an underwater fortress she heard them call Lake Laogai. There they took her father away, and whatever form of punishment they used on him she never learned. She never saw him again at all. She was brought before a high-ranking Dai Li, who looked her up and down and declared that she looked old enough. She barely had time to wonder exactly what she looked old enough for before she was dragged into a small room with a glowing pot and a Dai Li who told her that everything was going to be all right now…

After that she remembered nothing for a long time. When she came back to herself, she found that she was sitting in a room with other young women, all dressed in identical yellow robes and all mindlessly repeating words that a Dai Li agent told them. A part of her mind was still free, but the rest was blissfully blank. She was safe in Ba Sing Se, and that was all that mattered. Once an older man with cold eyes came in to examine them, and she heard the other Dai Li call him "Grand Secretariat Long Feng". She remembered the name.

Then there was chaos, and all the Joo Dees and other prisoners were moved to another base under the palace. She didn't know why, and wasn't even really capable of wondering. Then she saw the Dai Li gathering, and they brought with them a strange girl who held herself with aristocratic disdain. She heard the agents whispering the name "Azula", and that coldly beautiful face and those soulless golden eyes burned themselves into the girl's memory. This was someone who had never had to suffer pain or loss, and the girl found that she hated her.

And then the Dai Li and Azula were gone, and the girl found herself alone in the darkness, forgotten. Oh, they remembered to bring her food and water, but she seemed to have been relegated to a matter of little importance. She just sat, in a cell with all the other Joo Dees, able to think but not able to move or act, a prisoner inside her own soul.

But at last, on what she would later learn was the day of the summer solstice, something changed. A presence entered her broken mind, and she felt more than heard a cold but somehow soothing voice asking if she was through suffering. Those responsible for her condition lived, it said, but it could give her the power to make them pay. To make the whole arrogant world pay for its cruelty and injustice. She accepted, and then she felt the presence pouring itself inside of her. Filled with its power, she stood under her own command for the first time in months, and the shadows that filled the cell clustered about her, making her their own. Now she knew that she could walk unseen by mortal eyes if she wished, and though she had never had any kind of training she was aware that she possessed extensive knowledge of hand-to-hand combat. When the Dai Li agent came with food for the Joo Dees she rose up and killed him effortlessly, and took the two fighting knives she found in his robes for her own.

There was so much work to be done, she knew, so many who deserved to suffer. But two faces stood out in her mind, one a middle-aged man and the other a young girl who both looked upon the world as their possession. Long Feng was her ultimate tormentor, but the voice whispered that it was the other who was truly worthy of hate. Azula was raised in wealth and had never known hardship, and she and her family were the root cause of all the suffering the War had brought. She grew powerful off others' pain, and the girl knew that she deserved to die more than anyone else alive.

And so Wei Ming waited and plotted until the time was right and her vengeance could begin. Long Feng had paid, and now he lay cold and dead at her feet. Ozai too lay dead in his cell, but that had been unsatisfying because he had already been made to pay. But Azula still waited, unbroken, as did Ba Sing Se and the whole Fire Nation. They would all know her pain before she was through. Jian Chin was a tyrant and a fool, and she would inflict him on all those arrogant and complacent people who stood by and let the War happen, along with those more directly responsible.

After spending so long brainwashed and then pursuing vengeance, Wei Ming no longer remembered her real name, or the name of her village, or her parents faces. But they no longer mattered. Vengeance was all, and soon it would all be accomplished. Without even a backward glance she left Long Feng's body behind and flowed off into the night. 


	19. Chapter 18: Trust Issues

**Chapter 18: Trust Issues**

The battle between the Dai Li and Shin's firebenders was over as Azula and Ty Lee emerged into the clearing. The captain and his men had been victorious, though both sides had suffered losses- several bodies in red and green lay scattered about, some still covered in stone or smoldering. Three of the Dai Li were still alive- they'd been bound together with what appeared to be their own cuffs and were sitting against a tree, watched over by two firebending soldiers. Captain Shin and two other men stood off to the side, deep in conversation. They were all that was left.

Shin looked up as he heard footsteps behind him. "Princess, Ty Lee!" he called. "You're alive! We were just discussing whether there were enough of us to risk looking for you and keep an eye on these scum at the same time." He motioned towards the Dai Li and scowled.

"Really? Shin, I didn't know you cared," Azula replied.

"Protecting you is one of the tasks your brother charged me with," the captain said rather stiffly. "I would carry it out regardless of personal feelings in the matter. Now tell me- what happened with the head Dai Li and that girl? Are they dead?"

"Long Feng was alive the last I saw him," Azula admitted. "But he fled when he realized he couldn't defeat me." She glanced over at the acrobat. "You've been unusually quiet, Ty Lee, but judging from the fact that you're here and she's not it would seem that you were able to defeat Wei Ming."

"She ran off," Ty Lee said, "but I don't know where she went." Both Azula and Shin looked at her, but she didn't elaborate.

"In that case, they're both still threats," the captain said. "If they did both retreat, though, I doubt they'll be coming back tonight. Did you manage to learn anything about your mother, princess?"

"Yes," Azula said. "She's being held by a local warlord who calls himself Jian Chin in a castle a few days south of here. I was just returning to the ship to collect you and your men in order to retrieve her when we were jumped by the Dai Li."

"Well, as you can see we're hardly at full strength," Shin said bitterly. "They managed to destroy our ship, and though they weren't as strong as most frontline soldiers, they made up for it by being treacherous. We're still with you, but I think any kind of frontal assault is out at this point- and there's still the matter of the prisoners to deal with first."

"Kill them," Azula said with a shrug. "They're Dai Li agents- we're not going to be able to get them to betray their leader through force. In Ba Sing Se I was able to win their allegiance only by convincing Long Feng that he'd already lost- then the rest of them swore to follow me. Without him here to give them directions there's no way they'd betray their precious city."

"No, Azula!" Ty Lee put in, her tone unusually earnest. "Don't kill them- please. They're helpless prisoners."

"They're never helpless," Azula snapped. "As I said, they're too dangerous to keep around, and there aren't any prisons in this cursed place I'd trust to hold them. Killing them now is the simplest solution- and it's not like their innocent. You remember the Dai Li- they're as ruthless as any of my father's lackeys."

"I know," Ty Lee said. "But it's just that- well, you've hurt a lot of people, Azula, during the war, and that didn't work out too well in the end. If you want to do things differently this time, maybe having a little mercy might help?"

"Mercy," Azula spat. "Now you're sounding like Zuzu and the Avatar- clearly the Kyoshi Warriors got to you." Still, part of Azula had to admit the other girl had a point- if she didn't want to end up a mad wreck she had to do something different from her old life, much as it stung to admit it.

"There is something we could do with them," Captain Shin said. Walking over to the prisoners he jerked one of them to his feet. "If it was up to me I'd side with the princess on this one," he said to the agent. "But it looks like her friend there is trying to talk her out of it, so if you want to save your own skin, you'll answer me- did you come here on a ship, or by land?"

"Ship," the Dai Li said. "We captured it from the Fire Nation years ago."

"And where is your ship now?"

"Just outside the harbor where you left yours- hidden."

"All right then," Shin said. "Here's what I'm offering- four of my men will escort you back to your vessel- bound so you can't earthbend, of course- and see you safely aboard. You'll then go back to Ba Sing Se or wherever you came from and never show your face outside of there again. If that's not acceptable- well, all the princess has to do is nod and you're dead, understand? Your friends killed a lot of mine tonight, and forgiveness isn't the policy of the Fire Navy."

"I understand," the agent said.

Azula sighed. "Very well," she said. "That is acceptable- if I went ahead and had them executed, Ty Lee wouldn't let me hear the end of it." She turned to Shin. "There's something interesting about your plan, though- it leaves us with just three people to confront Jian Chin. Was that deliberate?"

"I didn't think it would inconvenience you all that much," Captain Shin said, a look in his eyes that was almost a challenge. "After all, I heard you conquered Ba Sing Se with only three people."

Azula smiled. "I did. Now it's time to see if I still have the edge." Her eyes burned like molten gold in the night. On one level, she was actually glad to have the lesser soldiers out of the way. She, Ty Lee, and Shin were all highly trained, and finding a way to use them to achieve her mother's rescue was the kind of challenge Princess Azula welcomed.

############

Azula came awake suddenly, scanning the dark clearing for what had disturbed her. Shin and his men lay asleep on the far side, and the three captive Dai Li dosed against a tree, watched over by the last soldier. They would be leaving tomorrow morning for the coast while their captain went with Azula to free her mother. Nothing stirred on that side, so the princess rolled over and saw the source of her disturbance- Ty Lee.

"What do you want?" she asked rather irritably.

"Azula," Ty Lee said, 'we need to talk."

"We can talk in the morning. Go back to sleep."

"No- we need to talk now. There are things I really need to ask you about."

Azula stood up and stretched. "All right then. What are they?"

Ty Lee shook her head and grabbed Azula's wrist. The princess flinched slightly at the contact but allowed herself to be pulled away from the men and into the forest. Finally Ty Lee stopped and turned to her.

"What is this about, Ty Lee?" Azula demanded.

The acrobat pulled away and stepped from one foot to the other. "Earlier this evening, while I was fighting Wei Ming, she talked to me- tried to turn me against you. She said that she killed your father, and that the two of you met in the Capital before you left. Then she said that you just brought me along to fight her, but that you never told anyone." Ty Lee looked up at Azula, her grey eyes wide. "I need to know if that's true."

A thousand possible things to say spun through Azula's mind, but to her own surprise what came out was the truth. "Yes," she said softly. "She was right."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Ty Lee asked. "You could at least have warned me about the crazy girl with the shadows and the foot-long knives!"

It was a question that Azula had asked herself- she knew that Wei Ming was a threat, and it would have been the logical thing to do to warn her companions about her so that they could fight her. She could have lied about it, or just refused to answer, but something in Ty Lee's eyes seemed to demand the truth. "I didn't trust you," she whispered. "You turned on me once before, and I thought that if you knew about the danger you'd leave me this time too. I realized that during the last few weeks of the War, you see- nobody's really loyal, and they'll betray you at the first opportunity. You can't trust anyone."

Ty Lee's expression became one of pity. "Oh, Azula," she breathed. "It must be horrible to live like that. No wonder you went away- when I saw you in the institution, it was like you weren't even there."

"You came to visit me during… that?" Azula asked, not really believing her ears.

Ty Lee nodded. "A few times. Even after everything I couldn't just turn my back on you. I stopped after a few months, though- I mean, you didn't even seem to know I was there, so I wasn't really accomplishing anything."

"Why?" the princess demanded. "You betrayed me just weeks before- after more than a year I thought you'd have cooled off, but not then."

"I didn't really think of what I did as betraying you," Ty Lee said. "You were shouting and looking like you were going to start shooting fire any second, and Mai had one of those knives of hers out, and it looked like in a few minutes one of you would be dead- maybe both. I couldn't just stand there and let my two best friends kill each other! But I guess you didn't see it that way."

"No," Azula said. 'I didn't. I saw you and Mai turning on me within minutes of each other- two of the three people in the entire world I was certain were loyal to me."

"Who was the other person?" Ty Lee asked, seeming genuinely curious. "It couldn't have been Zuko- did you have a secret boyfriend or something?"

Azula snorted. "No. The other person was my father, and then he left me to rot in a worthless job. That's when I panicked, seeing treachery everywhere and ending up little more than a frothing animal. Now I suppose you're going to leave me- again."

Ty Lee shook her head. "No. I'm staying, Azula."

"Why?" the princess asked. "I lied to you, remember- or at least I left a rather important part out of the truth."

"Well, part of it's because your mom's a nice lady and she needs our help," Ty Lee said. "And part of it's because I do want to help you, Azula. When we were little kids, you were the first person who ever seemed to notice _me_, rather than just the newest addition to a family where nobody had to worry about remembering which girl was which because they were all the same. I know now that you were just trying to make a "useful ally" or something, but I still appreciate that. You may have been trying to help yourself, but you helped me too."

Azula looked quietly at her friend for several moments, and then spoke two words she couldn't remember ever using sincerely in her life. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Ty Lee walked over and put an arm around Azula's shoulder. "Thank you for being honest," she said. "I know that's just about the only thing that's hard for you. Maybe you should try it more often- then you wouldn't have to worry about people not trusting you as much. And it's definitely better than shutting yourself up and pretending you don't feel anything- I mean, look at Mai. You don't want to end up dressing in black and sighing all the time, do you?"

"Agni forbid," Azula said. She was reminded now of why she herself enjoyed Ty Lee's company- the acrobat was straightforward and guileless. There had been a time when the princess hadn't even been able to imagine her committing a betrayal, and now she was reminded of the depth of her loyalty. Ty Lee flitted from emotion to emotion easily, but friendship was a constant. It was something Azula found difficult to understand, but that she honestly appreciated.

Trust was something that was hard to come by in the Fire Nation court.

############

Jian Chin sighed contentedly as he closed the door to his private rooms behind him. After the Dai Li man- Long Feng- had left the previous night, he'd spent the entire day working on gathering his subjects together and equipping them with weapons. They didn't need much training- they were just going to be meat shields to get him through the defenses of the Earth King's palace. Long Feng said he had ways around that, but Jian Chin wasn't sure he believed him and thought it best to be prepared for anything he'd overlooked.

Now the warlord was exhausted and was ready to sleep and dream of conquest. Removing his cape, he turned to toss it haphazardly over the back of an ornate chair he'd bought off a pirate captain for a ridiculously inflated price- and then stopped in surprise. Someone was sitting in it.

"Jian Chin," the figure in the dark cloak said in a cold, female voice. "We have things to discuss."

"Who by all the spirits are you and what are you doing in my fortress?" Jian Chin snarled, clenching his fist and making the floor rumble. "If you don't answer me now, girl, I'll crush you like the vermin you are!"

"Clearly the great Jian Chin's reputation does not exaggerate his charming personality," the strange girl said acidly. "To answer your question, my name is Wei Ming and we have a mutual acquaintance- one Long Feng, Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se and Head of the Dai Li. Is that name familiar?"

"It is," Jian Chin rumbled. "If you're here for him, he's gone. Tell me what your business with him is and I might tell him you were here."

The girl drew back her hood and shook out her glossy black hair. She was pretty, Jian Chin thought, if one was in to the pale type, but there was something deeply unnerving about her as well. The warlord decided he didn't like this Wei Ming. "No need to tell him," she said. "Long Feng is dead."

Jian Chin swore. "What happened?" he demanded. "The city man was supposed to give me a kingdom!"

"He was killed by Princess Azula of the Fire Nation," Wei Ming said. "She's coming here right now- she heard you have her mother, and she's not happy about that at all. She'll be here in a few days."

The warlord was hardly a political expert, but he'd heard of Azula's takeover in Ba Sing Se and wasn't terribly keen on the idea of facing her. Still, he thought, she was only a child, and a girl to boot. A boulder would crush her as easy as anyone. "What do you get for telling me this?" he asked suspiciously.

"I want to see Azula dead, and I think we might be able to help each other," Wei Ming replied. "I couldn't help but notice that you have a small army gathering around this fortress- turn them loose on her. The princess's companions are fair game to kill, but I have something special planned for Azula herself. I believe that there are caverns located beneath this place?"

"Yeah," Jian Chin grunted. "What about them?"

"If your men can herd Azula into them, I'll do the rest." Wei Ming raised a hand and shadows trailed from it. "I'm not some shadowbender out of a ghost story, but darkness and I have and… affinity, nonetheless."

Jian Chin suppressed a shudder. "And what do I get out of this deal?"

"Long Feng was going to show you secret passages into Ba Sing Se," Wei Ming said. "I can do him one better." She reached into the folds of her cloak and pulled out a scroll which she tossed at the warlord. He caught and unrolled it, and then gave a fierce grin. This was a detailed map of the Ba Sing Se undercity- exactly what he needed.

"You have a deal, girl," Jian Chin said. "You've handed me the key to the Earth Kingdom, and so I'll give you your little princess. Never let it be said that Jian Chin doesn't honor his debts."

Wei Ming smiled and pulled her hood back up. "Excellent. I'll see you again soon- though you may not see me." She rose and slipped into the shadows in the corner of the room, vanishing completely.

Jian Chin waited until he was certain she was gone and then snorted. "Cursed witch," he muttered. Still, he'd put up with her for what she'd given him.

It was time for the man who bore the name of one of the greatest conquerors in history to earn a little glory of his own.


	20. Chapter 19: Into the Fortress

**Chapter 19: Into the Fortress **

Ursa was awakened by the sound of someone pounding on her door. She was surprised- normally Jian Chin only came in the evenings- but her training for the Fire Lord's court took over and prevented her from showing it. Rather she rose smoothly and pulled on a robe before her captors entered. The guards had keys and could come in at any time they wished, but by the warlord's orders they had to give her a warning first- and even then they almost never actually entered when he wasn't present.

The door opened, and Jian Chin marched in, flanked by his guards. Looking at him, Ursa was surprised- he was wearing a suit of ornate armor and appeared to have actually made some effort to tame his appearance. It did little to reduce his brutish image, but the mere fact that he'd done anything in that respect had Ursa worried. The warlord was obviously up to something.

"Jian Chin," Ursa said coolly. "You're early today. Is there a special occasion I wasn't aware of?"

"You might put it that way," Jian Chin rumbled. "I've recently come into possession of information that will make me the most powerful man on the continent. I was hoping you would be willing to accompany me to Ba Sing Se- and perhaps be crowned as my queen when the city falls to me."

Ursa couldn't help but laugh rather more wildly than she intended. "You're mad," she said. "The Dragon of the West couldn't take Ba Sing Se, and he was ten times the general you'll ever be. Or is this another of your empty boasts?"

"Boast, yes. Empty, no," Jian Chin said with a smile. "Three nights ago I was given a map that will let me bypass the walls and go straight into the palace itself. When the palace falls, so will the city, and I will be Earth King. We're leaving today- come with me, and be my bride! I'm offering you a kingdom."

"I would sooner die," Ursa spat, veneer of politeness gone. Jian Chin recoiled as though she'd slapped him- clearly that wasn't the response he'd expected.

"I'm sorry to hear that," the warlord said softly. "But if that's your answer, you won't have a choice. When I'm Earth King I will do whatever I want- or take whatever woman I want to be my wife. You won't be able to stop me." With that he motioned to his men, and they turned together and left the room.

Ursa sat back on her bed and stared at her hands. Jian Chin was a fool if he honestly thought this mad scheme would work, but in any event his entire domain would now be in motion. If she wanted to escape, now was the time to do it. She just needed to plan how.

"It's an awful feeling, isn't it?" a cold voice asked. Ursa looked up and was surprised to see a young woman in a dark cloak standing by her bed. Shadow clung to her body, and there was an unusual expression in her strange eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ursa told her. Her mind was racing. Who was this person, and how had she gotten in here? Had Ursa herself finally gone mad under the strain and was imagining this conversation? There was no way to be sure.

"Being powerless," the girl explained, gliding over and studying Ursa's face intently. "Knowing that someone else has taken complete control of your life, able to think but not to act. To be a slave."

"Who are you and what do you want with me?" Ursa asked, standing and pulling away from the stranger.

"I'm no one important," she said. "I just wanted to see you- to see what kind of person you were. I couldn't help myself- I was curious."

"Curious about what?" Ursa was breathing deeply now, preparing to unleash fire if the intruder made a threatening move.

"What _her_ mother was like," the girl said. "I saw the father, but I was curious to see what kind of woman would give birth to that creature. I must admit I'm disappointed."

"Her?" Ursa asked. "Azula? How do you know my daughter?" She knew in broad strokes what had happened in the world during her imprisonment- she knew that the War was over and her son Zuko was Fire Lord, but she'd heard nothing about the ultimate fate of Azula. Probably Jian Chin didn't know himself.

"Azula and I are acquainted, and soon we'll meet for the last time," the girl said. "That's all you need to know. Like I said, I just wondered what kind of mother would raise such a child, and now I know. You're weak and powerless, allowing a monster to raise Azula to follow in his footsteps."

"You know nothing," Ursa hissed. "You do not know what I sacrificed for my children or my family. And you are a fool if you think I'm going to sit back and let Jian Chin decide my fate."

"If you insist," the girl said with a shrug. "Oh- one more thing. Azula is coming here to save you- for her own selfish reasons, of course. But she isn't going to make it. I'm going to destroy her slowly, and then destroy every last one of you pampered, arrogant, corrupt _nobles_. I just thought you should know."

Ursa felt anger and fear blaze in her simultaneously. It had been a long time since she'd seen her daughter, and she didn't know what the girl had become in those years- though Ozai had done an excellent job of molding her in his own image already before she'd been banished. But for an instant, none of that mattered. Ursa's protective instincts were in full force, and it took all of her self control to keep from throwing fire then and there. "If you're so intent to destroy us," she said in a barely controlled voice. "Why not start now, with me?" A part of her almost wished the girl would- then maybe Ursa could defeat her before she killed Azula and Zuko.

"Oh, I have," the girl said. "Think on what I said- you don't have anything better to do other than letting it sink in." She gave a vicious smile and then was suddenly gone.

############

Azula stood on a rise and stared out at the fortress of Jian Chin. Just a few short months ago she had faced the mad General Azun in another ancient place- the Obsidian Citadel- and she couldn't help but contrast the two locations now. The Citadel had been otherworldly, a jagged black-glass mirror of the Fire Lord's palace. It had been impressively eerie and mysterious. Jian Chin's fortress, by contrast, was clearly made of the stone of this world, and was so ancient that it was almost falling apart. Still, there was something almost regal about the place- in spite of its obvious flaws, this was a building that had seen the rise and fall of dozens of empires and the reigns of hundreds of kings. Azula thought it wasted on a barbarian who was no doubt incapable of learning from the mistakes of past conquerors. Anyone who styled himself after Chin the Conqueror was clearly in need of a history lesson.

"So that's it, huh?" Ty Lee said from beside the princess. "We've gotten in to worse. Should be fun."

Captain Shin held a hand over his brow and studied the town at the base of the fortress. "You might want to think again," he said. "There's something going on down there- I can't tell what from this distance, but there are a lot of people gathering down there."

"That could be made to work to our advantage," Azula said. "It's easy to get lost in a crowd, as long as the crowd isn't specifically looking for you."

"What do you suggest we do?" Shin asked.

Azula looked down at her clothing- filthy from her rough handling by the Dai Li and her duel with Long Feng- and smiled bitterly. "I think we're all covered in enough dirt to pass for peasants. We're going down there and seeing what all of the commotion is about. It could provide us with the cover we need."

The three walked down the rise and towards the town, attempting to seem as casual as possible. Azula couldn't really bring herself to adopt the downtrodden gait of a true peasant, but she doubted it would be an issue- most people around here wouldn't recognize royalty if it was standing directly in front of them. She did keep her head lowered, though- even to the uneducated, her golden eyes were at best a talking point and at worst a giveaway.

The outer portions of the town were empty as they made their way towards the center. As they neared the edge of the crowd, it became apparent that not everyone was there by choice- soldiers in mismatched armor stood around the edges, and every so often one of them would forcibly drag more peasants up. At the base of the path leading up to the fortress stood a handful of men in gaudy robes who appeared to be passing out crude swords and spears to the populace.

"Azula, what's going on?" Ty Lee asked quietly. "I don't like this."

"Neither do I," the princess replied. "This looks like conscription. Jian Chin is planning to attack someone- the question is, who?"

Captain Shin grabbed a nearby man by the arm. "Excuse me, friend," he said, "but my companions and I were just passing through this town when we were rounded up by soldiers and forced over here. Care to explain what's going on?"

"Well, I don't know more than you, probably," the man said. "Guys in the robes up there made a speech a bit ago, but I kind of tuned it out. Too much talk's bad for the stomach, you know. But I think I heard the word's Ba Sing Se and Earth King." His brows furrowed. "It was definitely some kind of king."

"Ba Sing Se?" Azula asked incredulously. "Jian Chin must be insane if he thinks he can conquer the Earth Kingdom capital with this rabble." Azula seemed to be cursed with an improbably high number of encounters with the mad during her travels- part of her thought darkly that some spirit must have a sense of irony.

"Maybe he's not," Ty Lee said. "Long Feng got away, remember? Maybe this is where he ran to."

"You're right," Azula mused. "Maybe he intends to use Jian Chin as a puppet ruler. Arrogant fools are remarkably easy to manipulate, after all."

A shadow fell over the princess, and she turned her head to see a tall soldier looming over her. "Did I just hear you calling our glorious leader a fool, girl?" he asked ominously, fingering a warhammer that hung from his belt.

"No, no you didn't!" Ty Lee said, pushing herself in between the soldier and Azula. "My friend was just saying that you'd have to be a fool to try and fight him." She smiled widely and batted her eyes.

"Well, uh, that is true," the soldier said, rather taken aback.

"I mean, with big, strong warriors like you fighting for him, how could Jian Chin lose?" Ty Lee let her smile widen just a bit more, her eyes wide with apparent awe.

"That's very right," the soldier said. "Good day to you, ladies." He walked off, apparently continuing a patrol around the edge of the crowd. There was a noticeable bounce in his step that hadn't been there before.

"That was utterly demeaning," Azula said softly.

Ty Lee shrugged. "Well, it worked, didn't it?"

Azula sighed. "I suppose it did. Now that he's out of our way, though, we need to get inside the fortress. I have an idea." The princess began to push her way through the crowd, a confused Ty Lee and Captain Shin following behind.

She reached the robed men with the weapons- apparently Jian Chin's ministers, or whatever he had that passed for ministers- and marched up to the one in front. "Thief!" she shouted at him in a voice carefully filled with righteous indignation.

The man looked at her confusedly. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said. "Now go away and let me work. These people won't arm themselves."

"Of course they won't," Azula snapped. "They can't- you and your kind have taken everything they had and used it to line your own pockets. Well, they've had enough!"

"You are raving," the official said coldly. "Guards, remove her from my presence."

"Raving, am I?" Azula shrieked. "Then explain this!" She hurled herself on the man, knocking him backwards. Quickly she pulled herself back to her feet, a pouch she'd pulled from under his robes in one hand. Raising it over her head, she tossed the pouch into the crowd. It landed in the middle of them and split open, revealing gleaming gold and silver coins.

"See!" Azula said. "That's wealth his kind stole from you- and there's more where that came from!" As one, Jian Chin's oppressed subjects- many of whom had only seen a single gold piece in their life, if they were lucky- surged forward, some going for the already spilled gold, others charging the robed officials. Azula ducked away from the budding riot and began to hurry up the pathway. Ty Lee and Shin joined her shortly.

"Very clever," Shin murmured. "Instant riot- that will take a while to calm down, even with bending."

"I know," Azula said smugly. Looking back, she saw the soldiers wading into the rioting crowd. "We'd better hurry, though- I don't know how long it will be before they have it under enough control to notice us." The other two nodded, and then they were hurrying up towards the fortress.

As they reached the top of the path, they saw that the gate was open, but guarded. Four large men with hammers stood beside it, and Azula noted their bare feet. Earthbenders.

"Who are you and what do you want here?" their officer barked at the three figures. "You can't come in- Lord Jian Chin doesn't want peasants tracking filth all over his castle."

"We're here to warn Jian Chin," Azula said. "There's a riot down there- it's completely out of control. You need to send more men at once!"

The guard laughed. "Nice try, missy. We can see the riot just fine- the soldiers who are already down there are quite capable of handling it. Now go away and leave important business to those of us who can actually think enough to handle it."

"Excellent advice," Azula said, allowing her voice to slip back into aristocratic tones as her eyes narrowed. "You should consider taking it." The princess lunged forward and shot one hand out- a thin jet of blue fire blasted from her fingertips and struck the lead guard, knocking him back against the wall where he lay still.

"Firebender!" one of the other guards shouted.

"Aren't you a master of deduction," Azula muttered. In a louder voice she shouted to her companions "Take them!"

One of the guards pulled his hammer from his belt and charged forward, but before he could go more than a few steps Ty Lee was in front of him, smiling perkily. The man stopped, jaw open- and then the acrobat felled him with three quick jabs. He collapsed to the ground, a dumbfounded expression frozen on his face.

Another guard charged towards Azula, hammer at the ready. She dodged away lightly and then caught his wrist in one hand, twisting it at an impossible angle. The man screamed and dropped his weapon, and the princess followed up with a fireblast to the face. He collapsed to the ground, screaming and rolling about as he tried to douse the flames. Behind her Azula could hear grunts and punches, and turned to see Shin in the process of disposing with the final guard.

When the guard was down, Azula motioned to her companions. "Hurry," she said. "Someone will have heard that." She ran through the open gates and came out in a wide courtyard overlooked by a balcony. A beefy man in armor and a ludicrously small crown stood there, looking down at her interestedly.

"Well, well," he rumbled. "You must be Azula. I heard you were coming."

"Jian Chin, I presume?" Azula asked as Ty Lee and Shin came up behind her. "Tell me where I can find my mother, and I'll let you live."

Jian Chin laughed. "You think you can threaten me? I could crush you with my bare hands!"

"We'll see about that," Azula muttered. Crouching low to the ground, she drew a deep breath and ignited jets of fire beneath her hands and feet. She shot into the air and flew up to the warlord's balcony, landing lightly in front of him. He stumbled backwards, a shocked look on his face.

"Still think you can crush me?" the princess asked conversationally.

"You may be strong, but you are only a child," Jian Chin growled. "I will show you true power!" Centering his stance, the warlord raised his hands clenched his fists. Beneath their feet, the entire fortress began to rumble.

"Careful with that," Azula said. "Power's no good if you don't know how to use it. Allow me to demonstrate." Quickly she brought her hands up, blue sparks flashing around them. Quicker than the eye could follow one hand shot forward, fingers extended, and a bolt of lightning lanced towards Jian Chin.

But the warlord was a powerful earthbender, and his fortress was made of stone. The balcony itself rose up to defend him, catching the bolt before it could strike. The lightning blasted the stone into pieces, but none of it struck its intended target. Then Jian Chin smiled and pushed, and the wave of rubble shot forward. Azula tried to leap out of the way, but she was slightly too slow. She was thrown off of the balcony and landed lightly in the courtyard.

"Now!" Jian Chin roared. "Before she can fly again." Azula bent down to ignite her jets again, but as she did so she saw who the warlord had been talking too- earthbenders who had stood hidden around the courtyard. The princess was still assessing this new threat when they bent down as one and _pulled._

Azula braced herself for an attack, but it didn't come. Instead the ground itself turned over beneath her feet in one massive slab, and the princess of the Fire Nation found herself being hurled down a long tunnel into darkness.

############

From within her room Ursa could hear the sound of fighting and the groaning of the earth. Knowing that this was her chance, she hurried to the door and pressed an ear against it. Normally there were guards outside, of course, but they had run off to join their master when the fighting started. There was nothing keeping Ursa here now except for a lock.

Raising two fingers, the Fire Nation noblewoman focused her power and produced a small, white-hot flame. Carefully she pressed it against the lock and breathed deeply. After a few moments the smell of smoke filled the room, and the lock had melted into something utterly useless for its intended purpose. Ursa allowed herself a triumphant smile and pushed hard on the door. It gave way with ease, and she stepped out into an empty hallway.

If the strange girl who had been in her room earlier was right, then the fight Ursa was hearing was with Azula and whatever companions she'd brought with her. The noblewoman's feelings about her daughter were mixed- she had been Ozai's favorite and had inherited many of the darker aspects of his personality, which he'd done his best to nurture. Even so, she was still Ursa's child as much as Zuko, and it wasn't in her nature to abandon her if she had any say in the matter.

The shadow girl had called Ursa weak and powerless, but with the combination of her own escape and her daughter's peril she had a goal that gave her strength. For the first time in years, Ursa felt hope. Surely if the girl knew that, she would be furious. The girl had tried to destroy her with doubt, but she'd only strengthened her resolve. For all her talk, she obviously didn't understand the Fire Nation royal family at all.

Filled with purpose, Ursa walked down the hall towards the sounds of fighting.


	21. Chapter 20: Duel in the Dark

**Chapter 20: Duel in the Dark**

Azula fell down a long tunnel, rolling and beating against the sides of it as she descended. None of the injuries were particularly damaging, but the constant jolting and bumping kept her from concentrating enough to firebend, or even take much in of her surroundings. All she could tell was that she was falling at an incline through a tight space. Finally Azula was spilled out onto a level space.

Quickly the princess scrambled to her feet, looking around intently to try and understand where she was. Azula could feel that she stood in a large open space, but the darkness still hung too thick for her eyes to make out any more details. Raising one hand she called a bright blue flame into it, illuminating the area around her enough to confirm her suspicions. She was in a large cavern, obviously some distance beneath Jian Chin's fortress.

Suddenly she was struck from behind and sent sprawling facedown on the stone, her fire sputtering and flickering out. Azula could feel the weight of whatever had hit her resting on her back, and then a hand grabbed her hair and lifted her head slightly up.

"You're mine now, princess," Wei Ming's voice hissed in her ear. "Tell me- how does it feel to be helpless?"

############

Ty Lee's mouth opened in a stunned cry as the earth swallowed Azula up. Before the ground had even stopped moving she launched herself into the air, jumping on ledges and the heads of startled soldiers as she made straight for Jian Chin. The warlord stood with an easy confidence and directed the men who stood on the balcony with him to engage the acrobat. His expression changed to terror as she lightly dodged their attacks and felled each in turn with a series of quick blows. Blanching, Jian Chin ducked through the door at the rear of the balcony and pulled up a wall of stone to seal it off.

Before Ty Lee could even attempt to react she was forced to dodge a very large rock that came sailing past her head. Apparently with their leader no longer on the balcony the other earthbenders were now perfectly willing to open fire on it in an attempt to pulverize the acrobat before she could take down any more of them. A second boulder- larger even than the first- came shooting straight for Ty Lee, and she barely managed to leap off the balcony before it was smashed to pieces.

She really didn't envy whatever soldier got stuck with the job of telling Jian Chin about that particular bit of unplanned remodeling.

Ty Lee landed on the ground of the courtyard and dodged the falling rubble as she ran over to stand beside Captain Shin. Looking up, she saw several of the surviving earthbenders leap down from the walls and land across from them, pulling up several boulders and preparing to launch them. "What do we do?" she asked quietly. "Azula's gone!"

"Keep fighting," Shin said simply. "Stay behind me!" Ty Lee ducked low behind the captain as the earthbenders launched their projectiles. Concentrating intently, he blasted each with carefully positioned fireballs, causing them to explode harmlessly before reaching their targets. Shin grunted. "I can't keep this up forever!"

"On it." Ty Lee sprang to her feet and ran forward as the earthbenders 'reloaded'. Dodging under the floating rocks, she came up and managed to immobilize two of them before the rest retreated backwards and formed the earth around them into a wall. The acrobat hurried back to Shin.

"Quickly," the captain said, motioning towards the door to the main part of the building. "Inside!" He and Ty Lee both turned and ran, reaching the door and slamming it behind them before the earthbenders could react.

Both paused for breath inside the fortress's entrance hall. "I bet they won't shoot any more big rocks at us while we're in here," Ty Lee said, "but they'll be coming though that door in just a minute. You're the officer- what do you think we should do?"

"All we can," Shin said. "Find Princess Azula and Lady Ursa, and get them out of here. And if we see Jian Chin- take him down."

"Sounds like a plan." Ty Lee and the captain nodded at each other, and then together hurried further into the fortress."

############

"I've been looking forward to this more than you can ever know," Wei Ming hissed in Azula's ear.

"I'll bet you have." With a sudden jerk, Azula arched her body and rolled over. Wei Ming was taken by surprise and knocked off of her back, and both girls quickly pulled themselves to their feet. The princess lit a flame in her palm and held it up again- in its light she could see her nemesis standing a short distance from her, both blades drawn.

"I should have known you wouldn't go down without a fight," Wei Ming said. "But you can't win here. There's no sunlight in these caverns to fuel your firebending, princess- and even if there was, how could you hope to defeat someone you can't even see?" Stepping away from the light, the shadow-girl melded with the darkness of the cavern and vanished. "This is my domain."

"Don't push your luck," Azula said. "I defeated the Avatar in a cave, after all. You took me by surprise once- why not just quit while your ahead and spare yourself a lot of pain?"

"I will never quit," Wei Ming's voice hissed from seemingly every direction. "Not until you're dead!" Azula strained her eyes and more importantly her ears, attempting to pin down her foe's location, but when the attack came it still caught her by surprise. Seemingly from nowhere the other girl slammed into her side with a flying kick and the princess was sent sprawling to the ground. She sat up slowly, wincing- she was pretty sure she'd heard something crack when Wei Ming hit her. Either way, her side _hurt._

Bringing one hand up, Azula launched a jet of flames towards the direction from which Wei Ming had come. The only response was taunting laughter. "Look at the perfect little prodigy," the shadow's voice said. "She can't even hit me."

Azula knew that she needed to keep Wei Ming talking, as voice was about the only way to track her that would work here. "Why do you hate me so much?" she demanded. "I don't even know you!"

"But I know you," Wei Ming hissed. "Oh yes, I know you, Azula. Raised in the lap of luxury, taught that all the world revolved around you, your whole livelihood built on the suffering of others. What did the sacking of a thousand villages mean to you- you never had to experience pain? What did the conquest of a peaceful kingdom mean to you- you never had to deal with being under anyone's control but your own. Spirits, you make me sick! But you're going to learn about suffering now, princess- I'm going to teach you. And you will beg for death before the end!"

"I never beg," Azula gasped out through the pain in her side, and launched another fireblast, more intense than the last. She thought she'd gotten a good read on Wei Ming's position, and smiled when she was rewarded with her enemies enraged and painful shout. Looking out into the darkness, she could see the shadow casting off her burning cloak and hurling it aside.

"You will pay for that," Wei Ming snarled.

"So you can burn," Azula said as casually as she could under the circumstances. She pulled herself back up to her feet and stood with one hand on her aching side. "I figured your immunity wasn't absolute when you said why you brought me down here- to weaken my firebending. Why would someone who is impervious to bending care to do that? It just needs to be intense enough that you can't bat it aside."

Wei Ming snarled inarticulately and seemed to pull the shadows back around herself, vanishing completely from Azula's sight. The princess spun around, trying to guess from what quarter the attack would come, but the other girl appeared suddenly by her side and caught her free arm in an unbreakable grip. Pulling Azula backwards, she slammed her forward so that she struck the rock wall of the cavern head on. The princess stumbled backwards, shaking her head to clear it, and struck back, catching Wei Ming's arm with a fire dagger. Smoke rose and the shadow screamed, her violet eyes blazing with hatred. Pulling one of her knives from her cloak, she lunged forward faster than the eye could follow and pinned Azula's shirt against the cave wall.

Pulling herself up, the princess kicked out and launched a fireblast from her feet towards Wei Ming. The shadow dodged around them and struck Azula's legs hard, causing them to drop painfully back against the wall. The violet-eyed girl drew her other knife and advanced to within inches of Azula's face.

"You're going to suffer, like I suffered," she said. "I lost everything that I ever loved, bit by bit, but that's not something you can understand. You don't love anything or anyone but yourself, do you? So I'm going to make you feel pain in every way I know how- and then I'll break your mind, like mine was broken in Ba Sing Se, and you'll have to watch helplessly as I bring your wretched nation to its knees. I'm not sure I have the technique quite right, of course, but we have time- and there's no one here to hear you scream."

"And they call me crazy," Azula muttered. As Wei Ming recoiled from that, the princess formed a ball of fire in her free hand and prepared to slam it into the side of her opponent's face. Seeing what was happening, Wei Ming caught her wrist and forced the flame down against the wall, and then grabbed Azula's head and slammed it back into the rock. The princess shook herself, her vision gone blurry and disoriented.

Wei Ming brought her knife up. "Now, now," she said softly. "We can't have that, can we? It's time for you to learn something your parents clearly never bothered to teach you- misbehaving children must be punished." Quicker than Azula's blurred vision could follow she raised her knife and sliced down across the side of the princess's face. Azula could feel the searing pain lance along the wound and the blood that dripped from it.

Clearly this wasn't working out well at all- in this darkness, Wei Ming was so difficult to follow that countering her attacks was next to impossible. But the fact that she was vulnerable to particularly intense bending gave Azula an idea, even if executing it felt uncomfortably like a last result. She'd never tried the technique she was about to attempt, or even heard of it being done, and she knew full well that it might kill her. Even if it did, it would end things on her terms, not the horrible half-life of which Wei Ming spoke. Screwing up her will and fighting to keep the blurriness at bay, the princess began to move her free hand through a familiar pattern.

"Really, Azula," Wei Ming laughed, "flailing helplessly just doesn't suit you."

"I'm not flailing," Azula snarled, "and I'm never helpless." Her hand came up, trailing sparks, and Wei Ming had just enough time for her eyes to widen in horror before Azula seized her hand and released the lightning charge.

Wei Ming screamed in agony, and after a moment Azula joined her. The lightning shot through both their bodies, filling the air about them with a strange blue-white glow. For an instant they seemed to hang there suspended in time, not enemies but two girls linked by soul-numbing agony. Finally Azula could contain it no longer. She released Wei Ming's hand and her own concentration. The lightning exploded, and the shadow was hurled across the cavern where she lay in a crumpled heap. The princess was forced back against the wall, and her head struck back against the rock. She knew no more.

############

Captain Shin looked slowly around the corner, making certain that none of Jian Chin's earthbenders were in the hall ahead of them. When he saw that it was clear, he motioned to Ty Lee and they both went down it.

"Do you have any idea where we're going?" the acrobat asked. "I don't mean to be rude, but we've never been here before and it's starting to feel like we're lost."

"I'm hoping that if we get far enough away from the fighting we can catch one of them alone," Shin said. "Then we can make them tell us where Ursa is being kept- and maybe even where Jian Chin sent Azula."

"Oh," Ty Lee said. "That makes sense."

Shin suddenly stopped and held up a hand for quiet. A figure in a green hooded robe had just come out of a side passage and was hurrying in their direction. The captain grabbed Ty Lee and pulled her back against the wall, and as the figure approached he jumped forward and grabbed its arm.

What happened next was something that neither Shin nor Ty Lee expected. The figure's free hand came up and released a jet of orange flames that were mostly absorbed by the captain's armor, but still sent him stumbling back towards the wall. He looked up in surprise and prepared to firebend himself, but at that moment the figure cast back her hood and Ty Lee's jaw dropped. She quickly interspersed herself between the two firebenders.

"Lady Ursa, remember me?" She asked rather frantically. "I'm Ty Lee, Azula's friend. We're here to rescue you!"

"Ty Lee?" Ursa looked from the acrobat to the captain in bewilderment. "I honestly didn't expect to see you here. I would apologize for firebending, but your companion attacked me first."

"I thought you were one of Jian Chin's people," Shin admitted. "Really, it is I who should apologize, my lady."

"Time for that later," Ursa said. "We need to get out of here before Jian Chin realizes I'm missing- he's fixated on the idea of making me his queen, and he'll tear the fortress apart to find me."

Ty Lee made a face, but Shin shook his head. "Too late- the warlord knew we were coming, and he's done something to Princess Azula. We need to find her before we can leave."

"So Azula is here," Ursa said, half to herself. "The shadow was right, then."

"Shadow?" Ty Lee asked. "Wei Ming is here too? This is really bad- we need to find Azula fast. Wei Ming's crazy, and she hates Azula- and just about everything else."

"Too late," a deep voice rumbled. The three spun towards the sound- Jian Chin himself stood there behind several dozen of his soldiers. Crouching, they all threw out their hands and strange-looking stone bars shot forward. They slammed into the wall, trapping Ty Lee, Shin, and Ursa. Jian Chin stepped forward and regarded them with mock sadness that seemed slightly genuine when he looked at Ursa.

"A pity it had to end this way," he said. "I am disappointed in you, my dear- I thought you would have realized the glory you could have at my side." He shook his head and motioned to his men. "Bring them to the courtyard- the other two will die there as an example of what happens to those who defy me, but Lady Ursa will come with us to Ba Sing Se. Seeing me claim my throne may change her mind- and if not, then she will learn she has no real choice in the matter."

As the guards extracted the three prisoners from the wall, they could do little more than struggle helplessly.

############

Azula groaned and came back to herself slowly in the dark. She could feel pain lancing up and down her body- from the lightning in general, but also from her side and the back of the head- and her face. Bringing up her free hand, she felt the still bleeding wound. Some part of her was able to appreciate the irony- no matter what happened, that was going to leave a scar.

Pulling away from the jagged cut, she reached up and pulled Wei Ming's knife from her other sleeve. Her arm was sore after having been held in the same position for some time, and she rubbed it for a few moments. Then, looking down at the knife, Azula thought of its owner. Igniting a small fireball for light, she stepped forward slowly, looking around and wincing with every other motion.

She saw Wei Ming laying in a crumpled heap nearby. Azula hurried over and bent down over her enemy, to make certain she was dead- and then pulled back in amazement. At first she thought it was only a trick of the flickering blue firelight, but no – it was becoming increasingly obvious that Wei Ming's appearance was changing before her eyes. The unnatural pallor was deepening to a more normal tan color, and her hair and clothes were losing that otherworldly sheen. The strange girl coughed and opened her eyes, and Azula saw that they were no longer violet, but a common Earth Kingdom green.

"Where- where am I?" Wei Ming gasped out. Then her eyes focused on Azula and narrowed with familiar hatred. "You!" she snarled and tried to lunge, but before she could even pull herself all the way to her feet she collapsed, shaking. The lightning had done its work- whatever strange power she possessed had absorbed much of the damage, but what got through was enough. Azula guessed that the girl had minutes left, at most.

In that time, the princess needed answers. "Who are you?" she asked, steadying herself against a stalagmite.

"My name is… I'm not sure," the other girl said, a confused look on her face. "Joo Dee? No, that's not right. I remember being called that, though, and then I was left alone in the dark, and someone else came and opened me up and poured herself inside. Wei Ming? No, that's her name. Not mine." She doubled over, coughing.

Azula didn't know what to think of this person who lay trembling on the ground before her. Wei Ming had been a terrible enemy, but in defeat there was something about her that was pathetic- almost sad, in a way. _Was this what they thought about me after the last Agni Kai?_ The princess wondered. It was a disturbing thought.

"You were a Joo Dee?" she asked absently, forcing dark thoughts away. "That's how you knew Long Feng. Where is he? Did he put you up to this?"

"Long Feng?" The girl seemed to think for a minute, as if trying to match that name to a face. "He's dead. I killed him- we killed him. He was part of my revenge, like you. But all that's so fuzzy now."

"You're dying," Azula said without sympathy, but also without malice. She had no pity for her foe, but seeing her like this made rejoicing in her downfall difficult.

"I am?" the girl asked. "Yes- I feel it. You got me pretty good, there?" She raised a trembling finger and pointed at Azula's face. "But I got you too. For the rest of your life you'll look in the mirror and know that… you're not perfect, that… an Earth Kingdom peasant could do that to you. I guess that's a pretty good revenge, huh?"

She coughed again- harder this time- and then sank down to the cavern floor. Azula listened to her breathing, and could tell it was slowly fading. Then the girl- Wei Ming or whoever she really was- looked up and smiled. "I remember now," she said, so softly that Azula had to strain her ears to hear. "I'm…" her voice trailed off before she could say her real name. One final breath rattled in her throat, and then she stilled, dead at last. Her features seemed at peace in a way they hadn't been in life, and that sad smile was still on her lips. The princess remembered the death of General Azun, and the ghastly smile that corpse had worn, but this was different somehow. Wei Ming's body didn't seem horrible like the general's had- just sad.

Azula surprised herself by bending down and shutting her enemy's green eyes. She didn't know how long she remained there, kneeling beside the body of someone who'd been trying her hardest to kill her. Maybe it was because of the fact that she was too tired- and in too much pain- to stand. Or maybe some part of her felt pity for the girl who'd been torn from her home and turned into one of Long Feng's soulless puppets before being taken over by some other force to be used as a tool for unknown ends.

"Banish such thoughts, my daughter," a cold voice said from behind her. Azula turned slowly, somehow not surprised at all to see her father standing there. "Wei Ming was your enemy- now she is no more. That is all there is to it. Forget her."

"I can't." Azula touched the still-bleeding cut on her face. "She nearly killed me, Father- a peasant nearly killed me. That's not how you said life was supposed to work. We were the strong, and we could do whatever we pleased."

"We are the strong, Azula- don't let one aberration convince you otherwise. See what these peasants become without us. Clearly they need to be ruled over by a stronger hand- our hand."

"Or maybe if we'd learned to moderate ourselves we wouldn't create enemies like her," Azula said. "All my life, I thought I was as close to perfect as was possible. What did it matter if I hurt someone else, or even killed them? They weren't important. What could they do to me? Well, I've been learning the hard way that that isn't true. Mai and Ty Lee, Zuko and the waterbender girl- they all defeated me, left me convinced that everyone who knew me was plotting against me. But today I nearly died at the hands of an Earth Kingdom peasant I'd never met before, purely on the basis of my reputation. That's the sort of thing that makes you think, Father. And what I've realized is this- if we act like tyrants, we create our own enemies. Sure, a lot of them may be pathetic jokes, but somewhere out there is someone who could defeat us. If we want to have long, health lives and reigns, maybe we shouldn't go out of our way to give those people reasons to hate us. You'd still be Fire Lord- and alive- today if it hadn't been for the War giving the Avatar reason to come after you."

Ozai scowled. "Of all of my family, Azula, I never thought to hear you espouse such weak-minded drivel! Clearly you've gotten soft and weak since we last talked."

"Or maybe for the first time in my life I'm seeing things clearly," Azula said. "I let myself be blinded by arrogance and selfishness, but you yourself taught me that a good ruler sees what must be done clearly, without concern for personal attachments. You meant attachment to anyone but yourself, but I see now that's an attitude that could kill you. I will not repeat your mistakes."

"Insolent little girl!" Ozai snarled, raising his hand to strike her. But as it came down, Azula caught his wrist.

"You said that you would always be a part of me," she hissed, "But that doesn't mean I have to listen to you. You're just a figment of my mind- go, and leave me alone!"

"Never!" Ozai snarled.

Azula narrowed her eyes, focusing all of her considerable will. "Leave. Now. You are dead and gone, killed by the same girl who now lies dead in this cave. You have no power over me any longer. After all my life, I am finally free of you."

She closed her eyes tightly. When she opened them again, Ozai was gone without even a shimmer in the air to mark his passage.

"Goodbye, father," she muttered. Climbing slowly to her feet, wincing at the pain, Azula looked up at the roof of the cavern. Her mother was up there somewhere, and Ty Lee- and Jian Chin. She still had a goal that was unfulfilled, and one enemy who hadn't yet been faced.

Breathing deeply, Azula focused her will and forced intense heat out through her fingers. Pressing her hands against the cavern wall she began to climb, creating her own handholds. It was difficult work, and she had to stop several times to rest, but she refused to give up now, to surrender to pain or exhaustion. Whatever else she had become, she was still a princess of the Fire Nation, and she would not give in.

Steeling her will yet again, ignoring everything that might distract her from her goal, Azula climbed.


	22. Chapter 21: The Warlord

**Chapter 21: The Warlord**

Hands bound by stone shackles, Ursa was escorted into the fortress's courtyard, Ty Lee and the soldier whose name she hadn't caught at her side. Despite her situation, she held herself erect and still, not allowing the warlord's men the satisfaction of seeing that she was shaken. The soldier was glaring at his captors with an expression that could have set a tapestry on fire, and Ty Lee's face was scrunched up in concentration as she wiggled her hands, trying to pull herself loose- to no avail. Finally the three captors were marched through the door and into the courtyard, Ursa wincing at the unexpectedly bright light. Jian Chin stood there, flanked by his closest lackeys. He shook his head sadly as they approached, though the effect was belied by his victorious smile.

"I'm disappointed, Ursa," he said. "You should have known better by now than to try and escape me."

"My only regret is that I didn't try sooner," she replied coldly. "Now tell me- where is my daughter?"

"Dead, most likely," Jian Chin said, waving the question away. "Not my problem any longer, and that's all I care about. You shouldn't miss her, either- evil little creep, from all I here. The world is better off without her."

Ursa's eyes narrowed dangerously and her hands began to smoke. "The world should consider itself fortunate that you were never a parent, Jian Chin," she said. "What lies between Azula and myself isn't your concern- she is my daughter, and if you hurt her, I will kill you."

Jian Chin laughed. "Really, Ursa- if you were capable of killing me you would have done it years ago. Enough of this talk!" He raised a hand and motioned his earthbenders forward. "Kill the two intruders. When they're dead, we're going to go to Ba Sing Se and bring it down. I will be king, and then you will be my lords."

The earthbenders stepped forward and planted their feet, drawing sharp stones up from the ground and pointing them towards Ty Lee and the captive soldier. The acrobad began struggling more intensely against her bonds, while the soldier simply faced forward, face expressionless. Ursa closed her eyes and looked away.

The ground rumbled beneath their feet. Jian Chin and his men stumbled backwards as a crack formed in the middle of the courtyard and blue-white light flashed in its depths. "What's going on here?" the warlord bellowed. "Who's doing that?" his men shook their heads confusedly.

The ground rumbled again and then the courtyard burst open, cobblestones shooting into the air along with bolts of lightning. A figure pulled itself slowly from the hole, wreathed in fire. Her clothes were torn and filthy, an ugly gash ran down one side of her face, and as she pulled herself to her feet she seemed to hold herself strangely, as though she'd been injured. Despite it all, Ursa recognized her daughter.

Azula turned slowly to face Jian Chin, the expression on her face so terrible that the warlord backed up a step before he caught himself. "Your friend failed," she said quietly. "Wei Ming is dead. Release my mother and my companions now, or join her. Your choice."

Seeing Azula for the first time in seven years brought a storm of emotions to life in Ursa. All too well she remembered the child who had from an early age internalized everything that Ozai believed about the place of royalty and the Fire Nation in the world and the ruthless methods necessary to ensure that. But at the same time other, more primal instincts were stirring. Whatever else she was, Azula was her daughter, and if Jian Chin wanted to hurt her, he would have to go through Ursa to do it.

Unfortunately, the fact that she was bound rendered her little more than a helpless observer to the coming battle. Ursa could do nothing but stand anxiously and watch.

Jian Chin backed away slowly, his eyes never leaving Azula's. "Kill her," he shouted to his earthbenders when he was safely out of range. They raised their boulders and prepared to launch them, but Azula only laughed. The sound was high and cold, and it set everyone in the courtyard on edge.

"Coward," the princess hissed, and Jian Chin recoiled as though struck. "I'm one girl, weak and injured, and you hide behind your men like I'm the Avatar himself come to punish you. If you had any real courage you'd kill me yourself so that everyone could see that you're greater than the infamous conqueror of Ba Sing Se, but apparently you're so afraid of losing to me that you won't dare. You're a disgrace to the title of warlord."

"Liar!" Jian Chin roared. "Call me coward again and I'll crush you with such force that they won't even be able to identify your remains for proper cremation!"

"Tedious threats," Azula said. "They'd be more effective if I actually thought you were capable of following up on them. But when I look at you, I don't see a fearsome warrior who will go out to bring the Earth Kingdom to its knees. No, I see a weak and foolish man who lets his own province fall to ruin because he's too busy dreaming of a war he'll never have the courage to actually wage. You're pathetic, Jian Chin- but then, what should I expect from a man who takes his name and inspiration from one of history's most spectacular failures?"

The warlord's mouth worked incoherently for several moments, and then he strode forward purposefully, seizing a warhammer from one of his men and brushing the rest aside. "I will destroy you so utterly that when history speaks of you from this day on out it will tell only of how you fell at my hands," Jian Chin snarled.

"Dream on," Azula replied.

Beside her Ursa could hear Ty Lee mouthing words of encouragement to her friend. The Fire Lord's former wife paused a moment to take in the whole scene- the two combatants, the guards, the other captives- before breathing deeply and focusing all of her will into blasting herself free of her bindings.

############

As Jian Chin stepped forward to face her, Azula was keenly aware of the pain lancing through her body and the exhaustion that threatened to claim her. Blasting her way free of the cave had taken a great deal of her strength- willpower alone was all that kept her on her feet now, and considerable as that was it wasn't infinite. Despite his lack of subtlety, Jian Chin's raw power would have made him a formidable opponent at the best of times- she didn't stand a chance of overpowering him now.

That meant she had to outthink him instead- and Azula already had a general idea what she needed to do. The trick would be executing it.

Jian Chin roared an inarticulate battle cry and lunged forward, pulling a large boulder free of the ground and batting it at his opponent with the hammer. Azula ducked to one side, wincing at the pain in her ribs, and allowed the projectile to smash into the wall of the main fortress. She looked up at the warlord and shook her head. "You'll have to do a better job than that."

The warlord raised his hammer high and struck the ground with it, sending out shockwaves that rocked the courtyard. Azula saw many of the soldiers standing there rocking back and forth on their feet, trying to stay stable. She decided it was best to avoid the problem entirely- focusing what remained of her power, she launched herself into the air and landed atop the outer wall.

"You can't escape from me up there, girl!" Jian Chin roared. "I'm an earthbender and this whole fortress is made of stone- it's all my domain. There is no escape." To prove his point, he dropped into a crouch and shoved his hands high in the air above him. A column of stone shot from the ground and curved up towards the wall, striking it near the top and breaking off a large amount of stone that rained to the ground below. Azula ran further along the wall to escape the attack.

"Very impressive," she called down. "It would be better if you'd actually managed to hit me, but you're definitely improving." Jian Chin shouted again and began hurling boulder after boulder at Azula. She ducked back and forth to avoid each one, ignoring the pain slowly building in the back of her awareness. He was doing exactly what she wanted now.

The fortress which the warlord had so foolishly claimed was built over a network of caves- Azula knew that very well, having just recently been in one of them. Doubtless years of earthbenders had shored the place up to keep it from collapsing, but unlike a firebender, Jian Chin couldn't create the element he needed to fight from his own body's energy. All of those projectiles he was throwing were coming from the stone that shored the fortress up- now all the princess had to do was strike the right spot and bring the whole unstable mess collapsing on his head.

Of course, the trick would be doing it without killing herself, her mother, and Ty Lee in the process. But then, Azula had always been good at tricks…

A flying boulder suddenly clipped her shoulder, bringing her to her knees with a pained cry. She heard Ty Lee's startled shout from the courtyard below, but she ignored it, focusing entirely on the here and now of the battle. The sound of rocks grinding reached her ears, and she looked up to see Jian Chin rising to the top of the wall, riding on a pillar of earth.

"Nowhere to run now, little girl," he said. "You're mine now."

"Never," Azula said. She hurled herself out over the courtyard, catching herself in midair with fire jets and drifting gently to the ground. Jian Chin looked down at her in bafflement, and the princess shot him a proud smirk. Then she took careful aim and blasted the bottom of the wall with all the strength she could muster.

She really thought that lightning would have been better than fire for that particular task, but she didn't trust herself to handle that dangerous form of bending with her failing strength. Still Azula had to admit that the results were every bit as spectacular as she could have hoped. The fire exploded when it struck the wall, tearing a massive hole both above ground and, more importantly, below. It pushed the already unstable earth to the breaking point, and with a groan the wall and half the fortress slid down the cliff side.

Jian Chin's eyes widened in sudden fear as he realized what was happening. The warlord barely had time for a panicked shout before his support was torn from under him and he went sailing through the air. Azula rushed as close to the edge of the destruction as she dared and looked down. She saw Jian Chin land on the cliff side amid a rain of stone which quickly buried him. His final cry faded with distance as he fell, and then was suddenly cut short.

Azula turned slowly to face Jian Chin's surviving soldiers and their three captives, all of whom were staring at her in openmouthed awe. Once she would have enjoyed those expressions, considered them little more than her proper due, but now she simply lacked the energy to focus on or appreciate such things. With her opponent gone, there was nothing to keep exhaustion and pain at bay.

Azula collapsed onto the shattered ground of the courtyard and darkness swallowed her.

############

At the sight of her daughter's collapse, energy jolted through Ursa's body. Fire shot from her hands with incredible force, bursting through the stone bonds that held her. Shaking herself easily free of the nerveless grip of the soldier who held her, she rushed across the courtyard and knelt at Azula's side. She was still breathing, barely, but the combination of injuries and sheer exhaustion seemed to have taken their toll.

A shadow fell over her and Ursa looked up to see one of Jian Chin's elite guards. She rose quickly to her feet and held out a hand in warning. "One step closer and I'll burn you," she said. "All I want now is to leave with my daughter."

To her surprise, the man nodded. "And all we want now is for you to be gone. You firebenders are all trouble, whether as enemies or captives. We don't want anything more to do with you. Go, now, and don't return."

Ursa raised an eyebrow. "What, no made avenging of your fallen lord?"

"Jian Chin was lord because he was strongest and because he paid," the soldier said. "Now he's gone and we have no lord. There was no loyalty we felt to him powerful enough to bind us to a dead man."

Ursa nodded. "I understand." She looked over at Ty Lee and the other firebender. "Release them too, or we don't have a bargain."

The earthbender nodded and motioned to his men. They snapped their fists together and the stone bindings fell to dust. Ty Lee hurried over and knelt beside Azula. "Is she going to be all right?" the acrobat asked Ursa.

"I don't know," the noblewoman admitted. "We need to get her away from here." She glanced over at Ty Lee's companion. "I'm sorry, sir- I didn't catch your name."

"Captain Shin of the Fire Navy at your service, my lady," he said with a polite bow. "I agree that we need to remove the princess from this place. With the warlord dead, I don't believe it's completely stable- literally or figuratively." He bent down and picked Azula up in his arms. "I'm the strongest- I'll carry her."

The three hurried to the gate- which now hung crookedly open after the groundquake Azula had triggered- and stepped outside. They walked down the path and through the small town, which was in a state of chaos. They had largely avoided being hit by falling debris due to their position, but everyone had seen the collapse and wondered what it could mean. Shin's military bearing and the flame that Ursa held in one hand, however, prevented anyone from bothering them.

They made it through the town and into the forest. There Shin laid Azula down and knelt beside her, studying her intently. "Can you tell what's wrong?" Ty Lee asked. "Her aura looks funny- all flickery-like."

"I don't know about auras," Shin said, "but I know a little about battlefield injuries, and this doesn't look good." He ran a hand along Azula's head. "She hit this pretty good, and from the way she was acting I think she's got damaged ribs too. The cut on her face is nasty but not dangerous unless it gets infected. The real problem is that she used up too much energy firebending her way out of the cave and then fighting Jian Chin. Trying to bend at all with the head injury would have been bad for her. I can't say anything more for sure- I'm no healer. Just a soldier who's seen a lot of people get hurt before."

"Do you think she'll make it?" Ty Lee asked, her tone uncharacteristically subdued.

"I don't know," Shin admitted.

Sudden fury awoke in Ursa- not at Shin, but at Azula's condition in general. "She will," the noblewoman said, kneeling at her daughter's side. "I don't know why but she came halfway across the world to find me and save me from Jian Chin, and she's my daughter. That's enough for me, no matter what else Ozai may have made of her. She will live!"

"Lady Ursa…" Captain Shin began to say, but if there was anything else Ursa didn't hear him. Not entirely certain what she was doing, she placed her hand on Azula's chest and bent her will on her, focusing all of her royal willpower and years of pent-up frustration on one idea- that Azula would survive.

Suddenly brilliant yellow light burst into being around her hand and passed over Azula's body. Shin and Ty Lee fell back, shielding their eyes, as the glow burned brighter and brighter. Ursa sat perfectly still in the center of it, unwilling and unable to break contact with her daughter. Finally the light faded, and she looked down at Azula- and was stunned.

The cut on her face had been replaced by a jagged scar. Her skin had become a slightly more healthy color and her breathing more even, and Ursa could see that rather than being unconscious, Azula was now merely sleeping. A slight smile, untouched by her years of ambition and hate, curved her lips. It was just an illusion, Ursa knew, brought on by pleasant dreams, and she honestly didn't know what kind of person her daughter would be when she awoke. It had been too many years since they'd last met.

"That was amazing," Ty Lee said, awe in her voice. "How did you do that?"

"Impossible," Captain Shi breathed. "Firebending cannot heal- it is a weapon that only has the power to destroy."

"I don't know," Ty Lee said. "I heard Zuko once talking about something he learned during the War- that fire is life _and_ death, creation _and_ destruction, all in balance, or something like that. Maybe this is something similar?"

"Zuko," Ursa said. She knew that her son was Fire Lord now, but little else of what had happened in the years since her banishment. Suddenly she missed him more than she could put into words. "I'm ready to go home."

"I think we all are," Ty Lee said. "Let's wait here for Azula to sleep off that healing, and then we'll start heading west."

"My men should have disposed of the Dai Li by now," Shin said. "We can meet up with them up the coast. Jian Chin may be gone, but in these lands we can use the extra protection."

"Agreed," Ursa said. Standing slowly, she turned and looked towards the west- towards the son and the city she couldn't see, but knew were there. "I'm coming," she whispered.

Behind her, Azula slept peacefully for the first time in months.


	23. Epilogue: Possession

**Epilogue: Possession**

Jian Chin still lived.

This fact was a source of amazement to him- he'd felt his body break as he struck the cliff side, and it had been damaged further by the massive amount of rock that had fallen on it. No matter how he'd survived, he knew that it was a moot point- he could feel himself being slowly crushed, and his life was ebbing from his body. He might have minutes left, if he was lucky.

The warlord groaned and tried to curse, though nothing came from his mouth but a wet cough and some blood. He was Jian Chin, the greatest warrior in the world! It wasn't supposed to end like this. It just wasn't fair…

_It doesn't have to be this way_, said a voice that seemed to rise from the very stones. _I can offer you glory beyond your wildest imagining. Accept my offer, and Chin the Great will be forgotten- it will be _your_ name that is the standard by which earthbender conquerors are judged!_

Jian Chin tried to focus his blurry vision, but he couldn't see the person who was speaking to him. "Who… you?" he managed to gasp out.

The voice chuckled. _A simple spirit who recognizes greatness when he sees it. For years I have waited and watched for a champion to wage the ultimate war and unite the mortal world under one rule. I thought that the Fire Lords might do it, and the Fire Nation's General Azun when they failed. We've met once before, when I was in the body of the girl you knew as Wei Ming. She was nothing more than an untrained commoner when I found her, and I was able to make her one of the most fearsome warriors alive. You I could imbue with the strength of a thousand earthbenders!_

"Why should… believe you?"

_You're alive, aren't you? The fall alone should have killed you, but I intervened. I can't keep you alive for long, however, unless you allow me to inhabit your flesh as I did with Wei Ming. Then our spirits and wills shall become one, and you will have all the power you need to bring this world to its knees. Are you interested? _

Jian Chin gave a broken smile. "Yes," he breathed.

For a moment nothing happened, and then the warlord's body was wracked with agony more intense than anything he could have imagined. He felt as though something was drilling into his skull, shoving aside his thoughts and identity and restructuring them to its own liking. He'd thought he was too damaged to speak above a whisper, but now Jian Chin was screaming at the top of his lungs.

It was over with the same suddenness with which it began. The pain was gone now- Jian Chin felt healthier and stronger than he ever had before. Flexing his muscles, he burst free from the rocks piled atop him and landed on his feet, whole and alive. Power ripped through his body- he felt like he could have moved a mountain, had he been so inclined.

_Now even the Avatar cannot stand against you_, the voice said in the back of his mind, now sounding very like his own. Jian Chin flexed his arm and knew it to be true. For a moment he considered climbing back up to his fortress and annihilating his would-be-killer, Azula, but another plan was forming in his mind. Having apparently risen from the dead and wielding earthbending that was powerful beyond imagining, it would be child's play for him to raise an army and take Ba Sing Se. Then the Avatar and the Fire Lord- and the Fire Lord's sister- would come straight to him, and he would destroy them all before the eyes of a horrified world.

Jian Chin smiled, and the voice in the back of his head gave its full approval. "Do you have a name, spirit?" the warlord asked conversationally.

_Yes. I am called Zhan Zheng. _Jian Chin's smile broadened. The name of his knew benefactor was one he was well familiar with.

Zhan Zheng. War.

TO BE

CONCLUDED

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has read and/or reviewed- I really appreciate it! I hope you'll continue with the final volume of my Azula Trilogy, _Soul of Fire_, the prologue of which will be posted in a few days. It will see Azula finally attempting to make some permanent changes in herself and mend her relationship with her mother- while at the same time being forced to team up with the Gaang to prevent a world war. Watch out for the Spirit World, too, as the spirit plotline takes center stage. Thanks again, everyone!


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